Helicopters deployed to contain blaze

Firefighters battle Table Mountain blaze

10 December 2023 - 16:22
By TimesLIVE
A fire that started at around midday on Sunday had been mostly contained by late afternoon
Image: Twitter SMOKE SIGNAL A fire that started at around midday on Sunday had been mostly contained by late afternoon

About 100 firefighters were fighting to contain a wildfire that flared up on the slopes of Table Mountain below the cableway station on Sunday, the South African National Parks Board confirmed.

The fire was mostly contained thanks to firefighting activities which included the services of three helicopters, South African National Parks regional spokesperson Lauren Howard-Clayton said.

“It’s about 90% contained. We don’t know the cause of the fire just yet. Once it is fully contained and we’ve done mop-up operations then we’ll be in the investigation team,” she said on Sunday afternoon.

The fire was initially fuelled by hot and windy conditions in Cape Town, with a strong southeaster sending a plume of smoke across the city bowl. 

TimesLIVE