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:

Photography Muriel Argent/Twitter 

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34 Comments
  • Louise Kerby
    Louise Kerby
    January 17, 2017 at 10:23 am

    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.

  • Nathália Rangel
    Nathália Rangel
    January 17, 2017 at 10:42 am

    Angélica, Gabriel, Mayara, Camilla

  • Sharon Cumings
    Sharon Cumings
    January 17, 2017 at 10:45 am

    Must be terrifying,

  • Mayara Dall'orto
    Mayara Dall'orto
    January 17, 2017 at 10:46 am

    Ai meu coração ??

  • Sarita de Kroon
    Sarita de Kroon
    January 17, 2017 at 11:06 am

    Even though it is so terribly dry, the fires and the way they flare up is starting to be unbelievable.

  • Adriaan Rossouw
    Adriaan Rossouw
    January 17, 2017 at 11:18 am

    How is the fire doing??

  • Geraldine Guillome Dijoux
    Geraldine Guillome Dijoux
    January 17, 2017 at 11:30 am

    Oh no ! U0001f622

  • Thierry Langlois
    Thierry Langlois
    January 17, 2017 at 11:30 am

    Graham Gallow we should volunteer

  • Alan Paterson
    Alan Paterson
    January 17, 2017 at 11:37 am

    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…

  • Judy Romeski
    Judy Romeski
    January 17, 2017 at 11:44 am

    I hope that you find and punish the people who are doing this to your beautiful city

  • Zacharia Chäpolín Touffie
    Zacharia Chäpolín Touffie
    January 17, 2017 at 12:08 pm

    Shu-aib Basadien Nadia McGregor Lameez Karriem We need to save our Park!!!!!

  • Angélica Amado
    Angélica Amado
    January 17, 2017 at 1:48 pm

    Eu vi isso, muito doido

  • Elaine Down
    Elaine Down
    January 17, 2017 at 3:23 pm

    Just so hectic

  • Dillon Tetos Chivange
    Dillon Tetos Chivange
    January 17, 2017 at 3:24 pm

    Oooh no man WHY

  • Sarita de Kroon
    Sarita de Kroon
    January 17, 2017 at 3:40 pm

    Veronica Van Der Merwe my thoughts exactly

  • Ingrid Niebuhr
    Ingrid Niebuhr
    January 17, 2017 at 3:50 pm

    Westley Engelbrecht no more hiking

  • Raquel Bernstein Zuckerman
    Raquel Bernstein Zuckerman
    January 17, 2017 at 4:20 pm

    Thank you to our amazing firefighters. Absolute heroes

  • Christina David
    Christina David
    January 17, 2017 at 5:09 pm

    These fires have really scarred the beauty of mountain sides.

  • Helen Crous
    Helen Crous
    January 17, 2017 at 5:19 pm

    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..

  • Heather Craemer
    Heather Craemer
    January 17, 2017 at 5:20 pm

    Are these fires being started purposefully? I saw on FB there was a group apparently inciting the fires?

  • Mike Goode
    Mike Goode
    January 17, 2017 at 5:46 pm

    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.

  • Themba Mhlanga
    Themba Mhlanga
    January 17, 2017 at 6:52 pm

    So hectic yesterday

  • Jeremy Pearce
    Jeremy Pearce
    January 17, 2017 at 7:23 pm

    Put a reward out for information if it is the case that these fires were started deliberately which I believe is the case.

  • Keith Poulton
    Keith Poulton
    January 17, 2017 at 8:01 pm

    Shoot The Bloody Arsonists!! Barbarians!!

  • Anita Venezia
    Anita Venezia
    January 17, 2017 at 8:07 pm

    Reading this news in California about the area where I once lived …

  • Beverley Barnard
    Beverley Barnard
    January 17, 2017 at 9:27 pm

    Definitely act of idiots NOT nature or accidental

  • Alwin Deale
    Alwin Deale
    January 17, 2017 at 10:14 pm

    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???

  • Mashudu Raphala
    Mashudu Raphala
    January 18, 2017 at 12:21 am

    White people are burning table mountain

  • Mike Goode
    Mike Goode
    January 18, 2017 at 11:09 am

    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.

  • Nico Brooks
    Nico Brooks
    January 18, 2017 at 12:20 pm

    Hoe is doing it?

  • Melanie Marissen
    Melanie Marissen
    January 18, 2017 at 12:32 pm

    Monique Marissen de brand

  • Monique Marissen
    Monique Marissen
    January 18, 2017 at 12:50 pm

    Ja heb het gezien. Heel erg

  • Hannah Kincaid
    Hannah Kincaid
    January 18, 2017 at 4:45 pm

    This is just too much….

  • Hannah Kincaid
    Hannah Kincaid
    January 18, 2017 at 4:46 pm

    Even one fire is too much….

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