Firefighters are battling a blaze on the South Peninsula side of the Table Mountain National Park in Cape Town. (Facebook/SANParks)
- Firefighters are battling a blaze on the South Peninsula side of the Table Mountain National Park in Cape Town.
- The two fire lines are creeping towards Chapman's Peak, sparking concerns.
- Two helicopters involved in the firefighting efforts have been forced to land due to poor visibility.
Poor visibility, brought about by dense fog, forced pilots to land helicopters on Tuesday morning amid their efforts to extinguish a 3 000-hectare blaze on the South Peninsula side of Table Mountain National Park (TMNP).
City of Cape Town fire and rescue spokesperson Jermaine Carelse said light rain had started falling in the vicinity of the blaze.
It is hoped that the rain will expedite efforts to extinguish the fire, which has been burning since Friday evening.
"The Incident Management Team (IMT) will be assessing the situation and deciding on the way forward in the next hour.
"Crews from the City's Fire and Rescue Service, TMNP, NCC and VWS (Volunteer Wildfire Services) remain on scene. However, it is likely that resources will be scaled back once the IMT has completed its assessment," he said.
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Two fire lines that form part of the blaze are creeping toward Chapman's Peak, sparking concern among firefighters.
The fire broke out in the vicinity of Tokai on Friday and is still raging.
Carelse said: "Two helicopters are airborne again this morning to continue aerial firefighting efforts. The fire is not contained yet, and there is some concern that the two fire lines are creeping towards Chapman's Peak.
"Crews from the City's Fire and Rescue Service, Table Mountain National Park, NCC and the Volunteer Wildfire Services (VWS)remain on [the] scene to continue active firefighting, and to watch for any potential flare-ups."
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READ |Firefighters will work through the night to battle uncontained Table Mountain blaze
Carelse urged the public to steer clear of parts of the South Peninsula that have been affected by the fire.
He also appealed to people to allow firefighters to do their jobs.
"We also want to reiterate our sincere appreciation to the individuals, businesses and organisations who have made donations of food and drinks to the frontline workers – donations have closed for the moment as we do have enough provisions to sustain the teams," he said.
Two fire lines that form part of a nearly 3 000-hectare blaze on the South Peninsula side of the Table Mountain National Park, are creeping toward Chapman's Peak. (Facebook/Brandon Louw/Volunteer Wildfire Services)
On Sunday, disaster risk management officials said 198 households at theNoordhoek Manor retirement village, including 48 frail care residents, were evacuated. They have since returned to their homes.
Meanwhile, firefighting efforts continued throughout the night.
In a statement on Tuesday morning SANParks said a flare-up started above Boyes Drive last night and was slowly burning down towards the road above Lakeside.
"Another flare-up occurred in Chapman's Peak around the early hours of the morning and is burning towards Hout Bay. Four helicopters were once again launched this morning and will focus on containing these two areas.
"The fire line above Tokai is being managed well with much of the active fire from last night extinguished," it said.
Crews have remained in the area to ensure flare-ups are addressed swiftly.
Several road closures are still in place a result of the fire in the South Peninsula.
These include:
- Westlake Drive and Boyes Drive;
- Tokai Road and Zwaanswyk Road;
- Old Boyes and Boyes Drive;
- Boyes Drive and Anderson Road;
- Main Road and Old Boyes Drive;
- Main Road and Boyes Drive; and
- Main Road and Clairvaux Drive.
Further updates will be provided over the course of the day.
