The blaze in Capri has been brought under control, with the City of Cape Town confirming that firefighting efforts have been scaled back.
This fire broke out Thursday afternoon in the Jonkersdam area on Table Mountain National Park, near the Glencairn Expressway, and, fanned by strong winds, began moving toward residential properties in Capri.
“An Incident Command Centre has been established to coordinate all operations and ensure effective communication and strategic deployment of teams. Residents in nearby areas are urged to remain alert and follow instructions from emergency services if issued,” said SANParks spokesperson, JP Louw, during firefighting efforts on Thursday.
Firefighting efforts continued into the night.
The spokesperson for the Disaster Risk Management centre, Charlotte Powell, said that as the blaze was brought under control, roads previously closed were re opened on Friday morning. This relates to the closure of the expressway between Kommetjie and Main Road, with Capri Drive, Jamaica Drive and Trinidad Close closed to motorists.
She added that some firefighting crews stayed the scene on Friday morning to tend to hotspots.
Khayelitsha & Overcome Heights
Meanwhile, at least 120 structures have been razed due to fires that broke out in other parts of the Metropole on Thursday.
One of the fires was reported in Overcome Heights, in which the City confirmed that 45 structures were destroyed. Powell said 150 people were displaced.
Then, in Z Section in Khayelitsha, active firefighting continued into the night, with the City indicating that at least 80 structures were affected by 21:00.
Powell said the cause of these fires is not at this stage, adding that assessments will be conducted Friday morning.
“This to determine the extent of these fires and the number of people requiring social relief so that we can activate our NGO partners and advise SASSA, as they’re responsible for broader humanitarian relief efforts,” said Powell.
The Gift of the Givers also noted that it was inundated with calls for assistance in parts of the City affected by fires. The aid organisation’s Ali Sablay says teams were also called to Witsands in Atlantis.
“Gift of the Givers has activated teams to assist at all three fire sites and will do a full-scale [humanitarian] operation, once the fire department has declared the fire site safe,” said Sablay.
