Sunday, April 18, 2021
Flames over Cape Town
Table Mountain fire in South Africa
In Cape Town, more than 120 firefighters are battling a massive fire on the famed Table Mountain. Large areas of the milestone have already been destroyed. Hundreds of students living on university campuses are forced to leave the area. The fire may have been started by one person.
A huge fire in Cape Town, a tourist city in South Africa, has affected significant parts of the famous Table Mountain. The slopes above Newlands County were on fire Sunday, destroying the popular Rhodes Memorial Restaurant and spreading further toward the university, the city and university announced on Twitter. More than 120 firefighters and crews of five helicopters battled the blaze for several hours. Two firefighters were injured during the operation.
On Sunday afternoon, the fire spread to the university campus and destroyed several buildings and a library containing rare and historical books. Hundreds of students living on campus were evicted. Also, the oldest windmill in South Africa, the Mostards Mill, built in 1796, burned. Authorities called for the immediate evacuation of the area, which is popular with residents and visitors.
According to rescue workers, the fire broke out Sunday morning. The cause of the fire was a fire extinguished by a homeless person. Table Mountain is a milestone in Cape Town, which is home to nature conservation. Severe fires are common in the dry seasons of South Africa.