Great news in Table Mountain fire relief efforts, but MMC cries foul over ‘attacks’

Significant progress has been made in fighting the Table Mountain National Park fires, which have plagued Cape Town for several days.

The fire initially broke out on Sunday morning, and firefighters were immediately deployed to fight it, followed by aerial resources at first light. Due to strong winds, there were flare-ups on Tuesday night.

On Thursday, the Newlands Ravine and Redhill fires were contained and suppressed in areas accessible to ground firefighters. This includes fires previously burning in inaccessible areas.

While reports nearby claimed smoke from the fire was blowing into the city during the fires, SANparks had called for calm.

ALSO READ: Table Mountain fires spread even further: Here are the areas closed and under alert

How far the fires spread

640 hectares of land have burnt in the Redhill to Kommetjie area and 139 hectares in the Newlands Ravine to Tafelberg Road area of the park.

Open trails

The Platteklip Gorge and Kloof corner trails were closed when the fires spread but have now reopened to the public.

For precautionary measures, the following areas will remain closed until further notice:

• Tafelberg Road is closed from the Platteklip parking towards Devil’s Peak
• Maclear’s Beacon and Devil’s Peak to Newlands
• Newlands forest trails, including Rhodes Memorial and Block House

 SANParks Senior Communications Manager Charles Phahlane said the continued presence of hikers in areas closed off due to fire damage and active fire operations remains a concern.

“We urge the public to strictly adhere to all trail closures for their safety.”

The South African National Parks (SANParks) thanked all the organisations that assisted with fire fighting efforts. These include the TMNP fire management team, NCC Wildfires, Volunteer Wildfire Services, Working on Fire, Provincial Disaster Management, Enviro Wildfire Services and the City of Cape Town Fire and Rescue Services.

MMC wants answers

City of Cape Town safety and security MMC JP Smith suggested possible foul play and said he had asked the city’s management to “collate all evidence”.

He said this should be provided to SANParks, the custodian of Table Mountain National Park, to launch a forensic investigation and open a criminal case of arson.

“The visual evidence we received was startling. The fire had been started directly alongside a deserted road, and now, just minutes later, no person was in sight.

“The suspicion and circumstances around these incidents are cause for concern, and while some persons may be going to great lengths to cause a negative perception of our Fire and Rescue Service being inadequate, I must caution them,” he added.