Guy Fawkes Day was celebrated across Cape Town last night with fire crackers being (legally) set off at various locations around the city. It seems however that one reveller may have taken things a bit too far…
Speculation abounds that a rogue firework started the Flamingo Vlei fire in the Tableview area, between SANCCOB and the Dolphin Beach Hotel, at around midnight last night. By this morning, the fire was still raging and causing quite a bit of traffic congestion on the R27 into town.
@liezelv heartbreaking fire on Flamingo Vlei. Traffic terrible before this point,clear after. Taken from @MyCiTiBus pic.twitter.com/BSjaE2trKe
— Susan van der Valk (@svdvalk_sa) November 6, 2015
Thank you @CityofCT for setting Flamingo Vlei alight ! Councillors Brenner and Grose get your firefighting gear on ! pic.twitter.com/wjtiZS6qmj — Dennis the Menace (@denver58) November 6, 2015
We’ve obviously got no proof at this stage that the fire was in fact started by a misplaced firework, but the fact that the fire is believed to have started just as Guy Fawkes celebrations were winding down seems a bit too coincidental.
Incidents like this do pose a very interesting question though:
@MovieCitric It’s a damned nuisance – Flamingo Vlei on fire tonight – reeds where birds 100’s of birds/ducks nest pic.twitter.com/HlM3289nCB
— Toni Stohen (@juschatagain) November 5, 2015
Thankfully, firefighters have been on the scene since midnight.
#Fires Firefighters have been working since midnight to douse a blaze in the Table View area. LI pic.twitter.com/M8AibZKUJy
— EWN Reporter (@ewnreporter) November 6, 2015
Photography courtesy Jonathan Meyer and Twitter
How long until Guy Fawkes gets BANNED. It is bad for the environment and the animals. People don’t even know what the significance of the day is! It has nothing to do with south African culture or heritage.
Couldn’t agree more. The city tries so hard to setup designated areas, but people just ignore the rules and now look…
Fireworks should be Banned!
As beautiful as they are, we need to stop using them for the sake of our animals as well as the environment. #banfireworks
Problem is people let off Chinese lanterns which are then out of control disasters looking for a place to happen. #GuyFawkesMustFall
Like your hashtag! Agree U0001f44d U0001f44d
Guy Fawkes is just so unnecessary!
Ban Guy Fawkes completely..whether controlled or otherwise….. dangerous to people, animals and property as well as being a waste of money that can be used for better causes!
Drove past it this morning in tears, just so sad.
I live 500 metres from the Vlei, this is not good 🙁
time to put this 1605 ‘festival’ to rest – this proofs evolution is a myth – how long WILL it take to drop a 400+ year old ‘tradition’? >:( Start a petition to the City of Cape Town – ONLY on New Years and ONLY at the beach front – NO WHERE ELSE >:(
Not might have been caused…was caused by a floating chinese lantern! Sancob evacuated, all the birds in the reserve that are breeding! Lets hope Sancob and no other houses or buildings are lost due to some ignorant idiots. The fire started before 8pm last night, not at midnight!
Sad that we have to celebrate Guy Fawkes and Hallowe’en. Such followers Not SA at all
It was on the beach front. Some idiots dont stick to rules and let off a chinese lantern. Should be banned all together
Yes let’s ban this menace & madness! We don’t need it & even on calming meds my dogs were a mess. Now the Vlei is burning those poor birds. Hubby drove in to work through the smoke such a disgrace!
if they did that then ban it completely
Ban Fireworks! ! !
Wian Jankowitz :-. See why I don’t like guy fawks!
Close all shops that sell fireworks and give them a huge fine!
Fireworks should be totally banned especially in view of the drought conditions at the moment. Mankind in general is so inherently selfish as regards the environment -something we will live to regret unless we make drastic changes immediately!
it not about being banned…. its about it being controlled. this could be a beautiful yearly event if it was just handled propperly.if u ban it people will still do it ….but most likely in their gardens close to animals which is 10X worse.
Let’s arrange a march to parliament guys: BAN FIREWORKS!
I agree fireworks should be banned. Not just guy fawkes. Here in KZN we have Dewali an Indian festival where they shoot fireworks for 7 days. It is much worse.
Fire was rampant and in full force at 9:30pm last night when I drove past there.
That is not cool at all !!!
A full on ban must be implemented with NO concessions asap!
they can watch fireworks on YouTube >:(
It is right by Kirst too.
I wish media could just get their facts correct before publishing. That fire was going before 10pm last night and could have even started at 8pm when fire brigades left the firework display to attend to the fire.
There is no reason to use fireworks, no matter how beautiful we perceive them to be. They frighten animals, cause fires and have hurt and permanently maimed too many people (who don’t seem to understand that they’re explosives) to mention. Ban fireworks altogether!
Guy Fawkes should be banned. People dont have money for food but they buy fire works. Sick.
We saw some fool releasing a Chinese lantern from Dolphin beach at about 8pm.
That might’ve been it 🙁
I have reported it so let’s see if that helps track them down.
Hi Danielle, we put the post up with the information we had at hand this morning. New information is coming to light all the time, but thanks for keeping us on our toes.
Thank you U0001f44d just tired of people jumping to conclusions as to what causes fires and it would happen on a night of fireworks..
BAN GUY FAWKES , HALLOWEEN ALTOGETHER WE DONT NEED IT !!!!!!!!
Fire began at about 8pm when we drove past. It was in the middle of the vlei. No one was in the vicinity at the time. I heard that a chinese lantern was the cause though. We were all warned before the time against using lanterns and flares as it is a security and fire hazzard!
Ban Guy Fawkes in these areas- animals are badly affected and the beaches are a mess again ! #banfireworks
did u see this Ashton Lunt
Thank you COCT
So many “maybe’s”…..
Stad Kaapstad moet dit totaal en al verban om vuurwerke te skiet. Iemand moet begin veranwoording aanvaar vir die skade om nie eers te praat van al die arme diere wat verbrand nie!
I drove through that smoke this morning on my way to work and it was not a pretty site. What gets me is that 5th November is not a traditional thing in this country, so why is it allowed
Die ergste van als is dat die helfte van die mense wat so baie geld spandeer aan klappers……is die 1ste om te kla dat hulle kry so swaar want alles het so duur geraak.
God!!! This is so annoying ! People wont ever learn !!!
Ban the crackers!!
Cape Town Etc start fining heavily!!
What idiots would even set off fireworks with the wind blowing like it did last night?……
Very unnecessary acts indeed.
Please ban any fireworks. Stop it now
Cape Town is the best run city in SA and forward thinking. Perhaps it’s time for the DA to grow a pair and just ban sale of fireworks to anyone other than registered pyrotechnic operators. ( maybe after the elections?)
HATE fireworks- BAN IT!!!
Why does South Africa even celebrate Guy Fawkes. Nothing to do with SA. BAN FIREWORKS !!!@
BAN!!!! Fireworks – Enough said!!
Have SAFE places to go to where you pay an ENTRANCE fee.
THEY RELEASED FIRE LANTERNS (I heard) is that something any sane person would do?
Oh nooooo! That is so sad to hear!
I don’t like it
There was an eye witness who saw the lantern drift from the beach and land in the vlei…
I never knew that SA did Guy Fawkes fireworks, as it is a British tradition and apart of Britain’s history. Not that there’s anything wrong with it being celebrated across the globe. U0001f609
When are you going to ban this event which is not ours to celebrate Cape Town??? We love our beautiful city and natural areas as well as our animals. It’s shocking that it had to get to SANCOB having to evacuate birds and penguins, not to mention past injuries, lives lost, homes lost, animals lost and money wasted because of Guy Fawkes. Ban it once and for all!!
Haloween is just innocent fun. No fireworks, no harm to anyone. Fireworks are not to blame….it is the idiots that do their own thing in areas where it is not allowed. As far as I know, no incidents happened at beachfront which was the designated area… It should be banned to the general public and only pyrotechs should have a valid licence to get it. These events should then ONLY be done by them , if they have to happen at all…. Fine shops selling it to the public! I saw big signs on Chinese shop advertising it…. Why are they allowed to sell it. I do not see it in our supermarkets at all!! Oh yes….Zuma loves the Chinese so they can do as they please. There is a nice rhyme to that..
We were on Blouberg beach and saw a man lit a Chinese Lantern just when it got dark probably past 19H00 – after it already had flown away they reprimanded him and announced that lighting Chinese lanterns would not be allowed. From the designated fireworks area the wind blew towards Flamingo Vlei. In my opinion, it was not the fireworks that started that fire. All the fireworks were shot towards the ocean. 3 Flairs were halso shot up, and the Police threatened to arrest the perpetrators. The evening was well organised and it was safe for everyone and there were enough medical, police and fire brigade staff. I would rather suggest that they control the types of things people decide to lit up on such an occasion that might cause actual fires.
What on earth does Halloween have to do with the price of eggs? You do know that it’s a religious festival for some, don’t you? Fireworks are not associated with Halloween, just a little fyi.
If the sale of fireworks is banned, there wouldn’t be much of a problem, would there?
Same applies to guns then
They should have something that is controlled and done by professionals
Halloween? Foreing god? Guyfawkes destroy everything in the path with fire!!!!