Don’t Panic! Table Mountain fire is under control

The Table Mountain National Park (TMNP) has assured Cape Town residents that the fire below Tafelberg Road between Tuesday and Thursday is prescribed and being kept under control.

This after Capetonians woke up on Wednesday morning to smoke coming from Table Mountain, with some calling on the City to stop it from spreading.

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However, residents should not panic this time around as the fire is prescribed.

The TMNP on Wednesday morning closed Tafelberg Road after Lower Cable Station as it was conducting a prescribed biodiversity burn of 10 hectares.

According to the TMNP, no disruptions to the Table Mountain Aerial Cableway (TMACC) operations and visitors, were expected.

However, cyclists, hikers and trail runners were warned to remain off the trails below and on the contour path above Tafelberg Road during the burn.

“We will have fire vehicles on these roads to reduce potential risk to people,” it said.

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Fire crews are expected to remain on the scene post-fire to ensure mopping up operations take place until fire management deems the area safe.

“Although we appreciate that such burning is a source of concern to many Cape Town residents, it must be stated that uncontrolled wildfires that may occur could pose a huge risk to life and property on the urban edge if the removal of dry flammable material by means of a prescribed burn is not carried out to reduce the likelihood of future uncontrolled wildfires,” said the TMNP.

“Fynbos vegetation is both fire-prone and fire-adapted, and the use of fire forms an integral part of the ecological management of the park.”

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The reasons for conducting prescribed burns in fynbos vegetation include the reduction of fire hazards by reducing the unnecessary ‘fuel’ accumulated in the field as a result of alien plant clearing operations, and also to rejuvenate the fire-adapted and fire-dependent fynbos vegetation.

When the burn takes place, surrounding residents are advised to please keep their windows shut.

Flammable items such as gas canisters should be removed from outside areas, and laundry should be taken off washing lines to prevent odour contamination from the smoke.

The Western Cape battled several wildfires in December last year, which were fuelled by a combination of mixed alien vegetation and strong winds.

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Earlier this year, the City of Cape Town’s fire and rescue department attended to a fire that had been started in Gordon’s Bay. Later in the evening, another one flared up in Slangkop before another one was reported in Simon’s Town.

The “unprecedented” level of fires in the province in recent times raised suspicions of arson.