A huge orange blaze engulfing part of the mountain. Smoke sweeping over the city, penetrating houses whose windows were firmly shut. The sound of sirens in the street and helicopters flying overhead.
This is not the scene of a movie. Rather it is what many people experienced last night and this morning. A fire that broke out at Deer Park yesterday (Monday 16 January 2017) was thought to be extinguished, but around 9 pm strong winds caused the flames to flare up again. The fire quickly spread, and could be seen over Vredehoek, causing concern for the safety of residents in the area.
The Volunteer Wildfire Services (VWS) and the City’s Fire and Rescue Services worked all through the night to get the fire under control, and thanks to their tireless efforts managed to avoid a mass evacuation and got the fire under control this morning. Deer Park remains closed as of this morning.
While it is fire season in the Western Cape, we have seen an insane amount of devastating fires all over, including Somerset West, Simon’s Town, Signal Hill and now Table Mountain. Throughout, firefighters have worked relentlessly to protect as much as they could and keep us all safe. We are proud of the fine work that they do.
Here are some images from last night’s fire:
For those of you wondering why everything smells like smoke this morning, check out this recap from #deerparkfire last night pic.twitter.com/Ta3lqVJvl4
— Community Medics (@ComMedics) January 17, 2017
View from Tafelberg road #deerparkfire in #Vredehoek being spread by the wind. @cptfrs, @vwsfires trying to take control. pic.twitter.com/0fg9yT2HAD
— Community Medics (@ComMedics) January 16, 2017
#DeerParkFire fire is right behind three towers in Vredehoek. FF working to stop the flames. Wind very powerful. Reporting for #timeslive pic.twitter.com/vSwWgvyobG
— Anthony Molyneaux (@AJGMolyneaux) January 16, 2017
#DeerParkFire
Scenes of Armageddon with the famous #DisaPark flats in the foreground. pic.twitter.com/LIRajJNL4T— CapeTalk (@CapeTalk) January 16, 2017
Yet another fire in Cape Town. This time, Deer Park. I can’t stop thinking of the suffering, perishing animals ? pic.twitter.com/BpMF6JcrCP
— Muriel Argent (@muriel_argent) January 16, 2017
#deerparkfire helicopters arrive at first light to finish work of heroic groundcrew. Fighting wind & flame 9 hrs! pic.twitter.com/LohGGOfI90
— Jane Notten (@JaneNotten) January 17, 2017
Choppers are out for #DeerParkFire in #Vredehoek – thanks you to all services: @SafetyMountain @vwsfires @cptfrs @wo_fire @TableMountainNP pic.twitter.com/Y8srVEyYHe
— Sarka Svoboda (@SarkaSvoboda) January 17, 2017
Afterburn. #DeerParkFire https://t.co/U6bY0kPEs7 pic.twitter.com/z8AS2NoczX
— Rick-Rack Cadillac (@irCadillac) January 17, 2017
The heroes of Cape Town; exhausted after a long night of dominating the Vredehoek fires last night #deerparkfire ??? pic.twitter.com/j7DdavWA7C
— Kelli Knutsen (@KelliKnutsen) January 17, 2017
After very hard night, crew of #VWS volunteers stands down from the #DeerParkFire and head to their day jobs. #ThankYou. @KFMza @CapeTalk pic.twitter.com/OF8hSdVhvc
— VWS Wildfires (@vwsfires) January 17, 2017
Photography Muriel Argent/Twitter
Rod Suskin hope all ok. Just come back from town and looks like they have this one sorted. Must have been hectic last night with the wind.
Angélica, Gabriel, Mayara, Camilla
Must be terrifying,
Ai meu coração ??
Even though it is so terribly dry, the fires and the way they flare up is starting to be unbelievable.
How is the fire doing??
Oh no ! U0001f622
Graham Gallow we should volunteer
And yet we STILL have idiots who flick their live cigarette butts out the windows of their precious, POS vehicles, and yet when you bring this to their attention, THEY get all aggro and defensive! There are IDIOTS who live amongst us…
I hope that you find and punish the people who are doing this to your beautiful city
Shu-aib Basadien Nadia McGregor Lameez Karriem We need to save our Park!!!!!
Eu vi isso, muito doido
Just so hectic
Oooh no man WHY
Veronica Van Der Merwe my thoughts exactly
Westley Engelbrecht no more hiking
Thank you to our amazing firefighters. Absolute heroes
These fires have really scarred the beauty of mountain sides.
Aunty Chrissie. We have 19 fires around Cape Town…Poor fire men in this 30 deg..Weather…The sky is just a red dust…We all praying for rain…..Lovies..
Are these fires being started purposefully? I saw on FB there was a group apparently inciting the fires?
There is no doubt now that most of these fires are being deliberately set. Courts should impose a minimum of a 10 year sentence for arson.
So hectic yesterday
Put a reward out for information if it is the case that these fires were started deliberately which I believe is the case.
Shoot The Bloody Arsonists!! Barbarians!!
Reading this news in California about the area where I once lived …
Definitely act of idiots NOT nature or accidental
I commend the brave souls fighting these devastating fires.
I need to ask, where is the National Defence Force, Navy and Air Force?
Are they lazing about while our beautiful province burns?
Last time I checked the Air Force had helicopters and the Defence Force thousands of troops??
Just putting it out there???
White people are burning table mountain
One of the helicopter crews saw two guys setting a fire and in Simonstown two guys were seen setting at least one of the 3 or 4 fires that started within 15 minutes walking distance of each other. These fires all started within about 30 minutes of each other. These fires only start when a strong wind is blowing in the right direction to cause maximum potential damage. So it’s no longer a question of if some of these fires are being set deliberately. Given the sheer number of fires started with multiple ignition points this process is clearly planned and deliberate.
Hoe is doing it?
Monique Marissen de brand
Ja heb het gezien. Heel erg
This is just too much….
Even one fire is too much….