Cape Town - The fire that ravaged parts of Table Mountain at the weekend has been contained, according to authorities.
It began early on Friday evening in Fountain Ravine, in the Kasteelspoort area of Table Mountain.
“The fire has burnt up the steep slopes of the mountain, along the western section of the upper cable station,” according to SANParks.
On Saturday, the City of Cape Town said 12 hikers were assisted down from Platteklip Gorge after they were overwhelmed by dense smoke.
One of the hikers was in a serious condition and had to be airlifted for urgent medical attention.
City Fire and Rescue Service spokesperson, Jermaine Carelse said a fire crew was dispatched to the scene on Friday evening.
Fire engines were despatched from both Roeland Street and Sea Point fire stations.
“Upon arrival, teams established the fire was high up and inaccessible from the road.
Table Mountain National Park was alerted and their firefighting teams deployed. TMNP response teams arrived around 9pm and made use of the cableway to gain access to the top slopes.
Since the location was still inaccessible, teams remained on the mountain during the night, monitoring the spread while City Fire and Rescue placed crews down below on Camps Bay Drive to ensure the properties below were not at risk.
“TMNP deployed fresh ground crews at 7am, but around 12pm a helicopter commenced with water bombing, with a spotter plane providing observations.
Due to the heavy smoke over the area, a group of 12 hikers became overwhelmed with the dense smoke and needed to be brought down from Platteklip Gorge.
A female hiker was in a serious condition and needed to be airlifted for urgent medical attention. At 6.40pm on Saturday evening, the incident was declared closed,“ he said.
The cause of the fire is still unknown.
Visitors have been urged to be vigilant and alert authorities of any fire sightings.
“Always give firefighting crews space and let them get on with their jobs.
“For any fires that impact the urban edge, stay abreast of what is happening and follow advice, particularly evacuation advice.
“If you live on the urban edge or in proximity to the urban edge (embers from wildfires can spot up to 5kms in strong winds), ensure your home is fireproofed, gutters are cleared of debris, and fire hoses are in working condition,” said NPO, Parkscape.
Cape Times