A 40-year-old man was arrested on Tuesday afternoon for allegedly starting four fires on Table Mountain.
Mayoral Committee Member for Safety, Security and Social Services, Alderman JP Smith said four separate fires were spotted on the slopes of Table Mountain on Tuesday afternoon. The alleged arsonist was also spotted by a chopper, and was apprehended shortly thereafter.
A second chopper was requested by Table Mountain National Park, and dampened the fire with a bucket of water.
Two fire engines and a water tanker were dispatched to the site, along with seasonal Wildland Firefighters deployed by the City of Cape Town’s Fire and Rescue Services.
One of the fires burned on the slopes above the lower cableway station.
Western Cape Fire Update#TableMountainFire #KloofnekFire
Video footage of the @wo_fire @environmentza choppers water bombing the #KloofnekFire
Choppers dispatched by @TableMountainNP? @Sullphotography #SavingLives #ProtectingTheEnvironment #Fire #Wildfire pic.twitter.com/EOs1idQzRI
— Working on Fire (@wo_fire) April 3, 2018
#TableMountainFire @KFMza @cptfrs @Smile904FM #CapeTown pic.twitter.com/myUV8Ffmjp
— Danelle de Wet (@Danelle_deWet) April 3, 2018
#TableMountain #TableMountainFire @cptfrs @wo_fire pic.twitter.com/2pTHmg8qyr
— Danelle de Wet (@Danelle_deWet) April 3, 2018
The suspect apprehended was found with petrol and other fire-making devices, and is known in the area.
Picture: Twitter