News

The fire at the Newlands Ravine which spread to the front face of the mountain in Table Mountain National Park has been contained in areas including those that were inaccessible to firefighters.

This fire broke out on Sunday morning and firefighters were immediately deployed to fight the fire, followed by aerial resources at first light. The fire then flared up on Tuesday night due to strong winds. By this morning, the Newlands Ravine, front face of Table Mountain and surrounds had been suppressed.

While the Redhill fire, which started later on Sunday, was tentatively contained yesterday afternoon, there was a flare up later and three new fires. These fires have been contained but fire suppression activities are still ongoing.

The Platteklip Gorge and Kloof corner trails are now open to the public. Maclear’s Beacon and Devil’s Peak to Newlands remain closed. Tafelberg Road is closed from Platteklip parking towards Devils Peak. All trails in Newlands Forest are closed including Rhodes Memorial and Block House.

South African National Parks (SANParks) wishes to thank all the organisations that assisted with the fires. These include NCC Wildfires, Volunteer Wildfire Services, Working on Fire, Enviro Wildfire Services and a special thanks to the City of Cape Town’s Fire and Rescue Services as well as Provincial Disaster Management for their assistance.

We also wish to thank corporates and members of the public who donated food and beverage supplies so generously to the firefighters. Many are volunteers who undertake this high-risk work in their spare time. The wildland firefighters of TMNP and NCC work 24-hour shifts in the mountains and appreciate a warm meal and extra energy the donations provide especially in the cold dark hours of the night.