Firefighting teams have been battling a wildfire for four consecutive days. The fire started in Tokai last week on Friday, April 25.
Image: Lee Kleynhans/Volunteer Wildlife Services
Firefighting teams have been battling a wildfire for four consecutive days. The fire started in Tokai last week on Friday, April 25, and spread to parts of the far south affecting almost 3 000 hectares of vegetation including Silvermine Nature Reserve, Noordhoek, Muizenberg and Clovelly Mountainside. While the Tokai fire was mostly contained over the weekend, it flared up again on Freedom Day, Sunday, April 27. By Tuesday, April 29, light rain brought some relief, although poor visibility grounded water-bombing helicopters. The following pictures show the destruction, and the dedication of firefighting teams during this time.
Far south photographer Stephen Cruickshank took this picture on Sunday of two helicopters landing on Ou Kaapse Weg to have their buckets attached. Multiple firefighting teams including Table Mountain National Park firefighters, City of Cape Town Fire and Rescue Services, Enviro Wildfire Services, Volunteer Wildfire Services, NCC Wildfires, Provincial Disaster Management and others had been deployed to fight the fire that spread due to increased wind speed. On the day, resources included 12 major pumper fire engines, five strike teams, five water tankers and three helicopters for water drops. Residents of Noordhoek Manor Retirement Village were evacuated as the fire rapidly spread.
Image: StephenC Photography
Firefighting teams on Ou Kaapse Weg.
Image: Brandon Louw/ Volunteer Wildfire Services
Firefighters at the scene of the fire. SANParks said approximately 250 firefighters from multiple agencies worked throughout Sunday night and while winds were calm during the early evening, it had picked up around midnight, requiring intense firefighting activity to manage flare-ups. Fresh crews were deployed on Monday morning April 28 to relieve those on the ground, and four helicopters were on standby. Water bombing continued throughout the afternoon in an attempt to get the blaze under control.
Image: Jeremy Rose/Volunteer Wildfire Services
One of the water bombing helicopters in action.
Image: Jeremy Rose/Volunteer Wildfire Services
Two firefighters work near the flames as crews battle a wildfire that has been burning across the far south since Friday.
Image: Jeremy Rose/ Volunteer Wildfire Services
Destruction cased by the fire at Silvermine Dam in the Silvermine Nature Reserve. Visitors to the area had been evacuated by midday on Sunday as the fire intensified.
Image: Alan Cruickshank