Fire crews worked for a third day to extinguish a wildfire on the slopes of Cape Town's Table Mountain on Tuesday as the city came to terms with the damage caused by what officials have described as one of the area's worst blazes in years.
About 90% of the fire had been contained, the Table Mountain National Park authority said, but only after firefighters worked through the night.
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Fire crews worked for a third day to extinguish a wildfire on the slopes of Cape Town's Table Mountain on Tuesday as the city came to terms with the damage caused by what officials have described as one of the area's worst blazes in years.
Fire-fighting helicopters were dropping water on areas where the fire still smoldered and smoked on the rocky peaks of Table Mountain. South African army choppers had joined the operation to support the fire department after the helicopters were all grounded Monday because of strong winds.
Neighborhoods were evacuated on Monday and people weren't yet able to return home. Firefighters mostly kept the flames at bay and away from homes — sometimes with just a few meters to spare. Around 250 firefighters were mobilized.
The South African government said a residence owned by its Department of Public Works and Infrastructure was completely destroyed by the fire. The house was empty at the time but family members of a national minister and two deputy ministers had to be evacuated from their homes nearby. The fire also came close to South African Deputy President David Mabuza's Cape Town residence, the government said.
Four firefighters were hurt battling the fire but no other casualties have been reported.
Those firefighters faced "extreme circumstances," said the Working on Fire organization, which specializes in dealing with wildfires and has been helping the city's fire department. The operation on Table Mountain had now reached the “mop-up” stage, Working on Fire said.
Residential neighborhoods are lit by raging fires in Cape Town, South Africa, Monday, April 19, 2021. Residents are being evacuated from Cape Town neighborhoods after a huge fire spreading on the slopes of the city's famed Table Mountain was fanned by strong winds overnight and threatened houses.(AP PhotoJerome Delay)
Fire-fighting helicopters were dropping water on areas where the fire still smoldered and smoked on the rocky peaks of Table Mountain. South African army choppers had joined the operation to support the fire department after the helicopters were all grounded Monday because of strong winds.
That wind had dropped significantly, but a cloud of thick smoke still hung over the city.
The wildfire started early Sunday and, fueled by strong winds, ripped down and across the slopes of the mountain toward residential areas overlooking downtown Cape Town.
A Capetonian watches the sun rise from the top of Signal Hill as smoke engulfs the city of Cape Town, South Africa, Tuesday April 20, 2021. A massive fire spreading on the slopes of the city's famed Table Mountain, at right, is kept under control as firemen and helicopters take advantage of the low winds to contain the blaze. (AP PhotoJerome Delay)
Neighborhoods were evacuated on Monday and people weren't yet able to return home. Firefighters mostly kept the flames at bay and away from homes — sometimes with just a few meters to spare. Around 250 firefighters were mobilized.
The University of Cape Town campus was one of the first sites to be hit on Sunday and appears to have suffered the most damage. Numerous buildings at the university burned, including part of a near 100-year-old library containing rare books and manuscripts on African studies. The university said some of those “priceless” works had been lost, but it was unclear yet how much.
Other historic buildings nearby, including a 225-year-old windmill and a restaurant near a memorial to British colonial politician Cecil Rhodes, also burned down.
A South African military helicopter drops his water load on the top of Table Mountain in Cape Town, South Africa, Tuesday April 20, 2021. Fire crews worked for a third day to extinguish a wildfire on the slopes of Cape Town's Table Mountain on Tuesday as the city came to terms with the damage caused by what officials have described as one of the area's worst blazes in years. (AP PhotoJerome Delay)
The South African government said a residence owned by its Department of Public Works and Infrastructure was completely destroyed by the fire. The house was empty at the time but family members of a national minister and two deputy ministers had to be evacuated from their homes nearby. The fire also came close to South African Deputy President David Mabuza's Cape Town residence, the government said.
Around 600 hectares (1,482 acres) of land had burned, the Table Mountain National Park authority estimated. It said it would take days to completely put out the fire.
The cause of the blaze is still unknown, although wildfires are reasonably common in the mountains and peaks around Cape Town during the hot, dry summer months and become especially dangerous and unpredictable when fueled by strong coastal winds, as happened on Sunday and Monday.
A helicopter hovers above the smoke which engulfs the city of Cape Town, South Africa, Tuesday April 20, 2021. A massive fire spreading on the slopes of the city's famed Table Mountain, at right, is kept under control as firemen and helicopters take advantage of the low winds to contain the blaze. (AP PhotoNardus Engelbrecht)
Four firefighters were hurt battling the fire but no other casualties have been reported.
Capetonians watch the sun rise from the top of Signal Hill as smoke engulfs the city of Cape Town, South Africa, Tuesday, April 20, 2021. A massive fire spreading on the slopes of the city's famed Table Mountain, at right, is kept under control as firemen and helicopters take advantage of the low winds to contain the blaze. (AP PhotoJerome Delay)