Rain brings relief for Table Mountain firefighters

01 May 2024 - 11:18
By Bobby Jordan
An estimated 220ha of veld have burnt.
Image: Sanparks Table Mountain National Park An estimated 220ha of veld have burnt.

Light rain in Cape Town is helping to contain a wildfire on Table Mountain caused by a lightning strike on Saturday.

By Wednesday morning about 220ha of mountainside vegetation had burnt, SANParks said.

“Light rain this morning [Wednesday] has helped contain the fire's spread on the Back Table, but isolated hotspots as well as falling trees and rockfalls remain a concern."

As a precautionary measure, several hiking trails remain closed to allow about 60 firefighters from various firefighting organisations to work on the fireline and deal with flare-ups.

“The priority remains the safety of residents, hikers and firefighters and therefore we encourage users to refrain from accessing these areas. Table Mountain National Park fire management will assess trail conditions in Constantia Nek and Newlands later in the day to determine potential reopening,” SANParks said.

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