Cape Town residents flee huge wildfire
PEOPLE have been evacuated from Cape Town neighbourhoods as a huge wildfire sweeping across the slopes of the city’s famed Table Mountain was fanned by strong winds and threatened homes.
City authorities said the fire, which started early on Sunday, was still not under control and residents of suburbs on the mountain slopes were now being evacuated as a “precautionary” measure.
The blaze had already damaged the library and other buildings on the campus of the University of Cape Town and other historic buildings on Sunday, and was spreading through the wild bush on the mountain slopes towards the city’s centre and the surrounding residential areas.
Devil’s Peak, one of the most famous points of the mountain which overlooks central Cape Town, was lit up by flames as the fire raged through the night.
Firefighting helicopters with water containers suspended on ropes had been scooping up water from swimming pools and the nearby ocean and dumping it on the fire.
But they were grounded yesterday because of the strong winds.
Four firefighters have been injured battling the blaze, said officials.
The South African army had offered to help with some of its aircraft.
“It’s a massive wind that’s blowing, and that is actually fuelling the fire to spread in each and every direction,” Cape Town mayor Dan Plato said.
A man in his thirties has been arrested on suspicion of arson for setting additional fires