Residents in large areas of Cape Town’s southern peninsula were evacuated on Wednesday afternoon as flames from a wildfire closed in on their homes.

The City of Cape Town activated its disaster operations centre in response to widespread fires across the city and a large blaze threatening Simon's Town.

People in Da Gama Park‚ Pinehaven‚ Red Hill‚ Glen Marine and parts of Simon’s Town were advised to leave their homes with their animals and important documents‚ and report to community centres.

Seventeen Golden Arrow buses were sent to the Simon's Town naval base to assist with evacuations and the city council water treatment plant was also evacuated‚ said disaster risk management spokesman Mandy Thomas.

“All the city's safety and security services are on scene as well as disaster risk management volunteers‚ NSRI and Cape Medical Response‚” said Thomas.

Dido Valley‚ Glen and Main roads were closed.

The fire broke out in the mountain slopes above Ocean View on Wednesday morning and was being fought by ground crews and two helicopters‚ said fire and rescue services spokesman Liezl Moodie.

She said residents were being evacuated from military flats‚ and Smith said twenty elderly residents from an old-age home were also evacuated.

The new fire came just as fire-fighters and helicopters contained a blaze which raged through the mountains near Somerset West for over a week.

On Monday at a media briefing in Strand‚ Smith said the city council had already “cut deeply” into its budget for aerial support for 2017‚ much of which was used on the fire near Somerset-West.