Cape Town neighbourhood bands together to fight wildfire

Residents of Woodstock district team up to protect their homes from devastating blaze

The flames were fanned by strong winds after the bushfire broke out on the slopes of Table Mountain. Reuters

A tight-knit community in Cape Town’s Woodstock district battled to contain one of the region’s largest wildfires on Monday as it continued to burn its way around the South African city.

Residents of Premier Road in the Walmer Estate, where many Cape Malay Muslims live, set up a fire hose as the flames tore through the shrubland at the foot of Table Mountain.

The blaze started close to the Rhodes Memorial at around 8.45am on Sunday morning. It quickly spread to a nearby restaurant, causing a gas explosion.

Although officials initially thought they could control the fire, high winds fanned the flames and the blaze swept towards the University of Cape Town (UCT).

Students were evacuated and several campus residences were destroyed by the fire, as well as the university’s esteemed library, which houses one of the largest and rarest collections of African literature in the world.

Buoyed by the strong south-easterly winds, the fire continued to jump and engulf several other buildings close to the M3 — the main road at the foot of the mountain — early on Monday morning. A historic windmill was also destroyed by the inferno.

By 11am on Monday, the fire threatened the Woodstock and Vredehoek neighbourhoods, with many local residents fleeing with their most valuable belongings.

Fires are common in Cape Town, and fynbos, the natural shrubland native to the Cape, is able to grow back after it is burned.

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  Firefighters attempt to extinguish a fire in the Jagger Library, at the University of Cape Town, after a forest fire spread down the foothills of Table Mountain, in Cape Town, South Africa, on Sunday. AFP

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  Students are evacuated from their residences at the University of Cape Town as the forest fire burns out of control. AFP

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  Firefighters retreat from a wall of flame as the forest fire burns out of control on the foothills of Table Mountain, Cape Town. AFP

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  The charred remains of historic Mostert's Mill, which was built in 1796, with the forest fire still burning in the background. AFP

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  A firefighter surveys the smouldering shells of buildings at the historic Mostert's Mill site, destroyed in the bushfire on the slopes of Table Mountain, Cape Town. Reuters

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  A helicopter tries to douse the blaze that destroyed the Jagger Library, dating back almost 200 years, on the University of Cape Town campus. EPA

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  A firefighter battles the bushfire that broke out on the slopes of Table Mountain in Cape Town. Several firefighters were injured tackling the blaze. Reuters

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  Firefighters fight flames at the University of Cape Town's Jagger Library. Reuters

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  Colleagues attend to a firefighter who collapsed due to the effects of smoke and heat, while fighting the forest fire on the foothills of Table Mountain. AFP

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  Firefighters attempt to extinguish a burning building at the University of Cape Town. Many university buildings were damaged. AP Photo

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  Fire crews battle to contain the bushfire that broke out on the slopes of Table Mountain. Reuters

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  A helicopter drops water over the wildfire at Rhodes Memorial on Table Mountain, Cape Town. AP Photo

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  The destruction caused by the bushfire that broke out on the slopes of Table Mountain, in Cape Town, South Africa. Reuters

One firefighter suffered serious burns and was treated in hospital, officials said.

Although there have been no recorded fatalities so far, the fire is not fully contained and officials feared that high winds could help it continue to spread quickly.

Residents of Premier Road, which is separated from the mountain by only a main road, told The National that Sunday's fire is one of the most threatening in recent memory. If it wasn't for their quick action, they said, the fire may have spread further into the city.

Only a road separated the houses of Woodstock district from the wildfire. Courtesy of Joe Mayson

With firefighters busy tackling the blaze at the university and at the edge of Devil’s Peak towards the top of the mountain, residents realised that they had to take matters into their own hands.

Due to past fires, one Premier Road resident kept a long hose pipe with connections to the fire hydrants.

People living on the road worked together to set up the hose and use it to hold back the blaze.

Joe Mayson, who lives on Premier Road, said it “was only a matter of time” before the flames jumped across the road and set the lawns and trees of the neighbourhood alight.

“The fire definitely would have been out of control and spread to the houses if they hadn't been there,” Mr Mayson, 27, said.

Water bombing helicopters were unable to extinguish the blaze. AP

Confusing direction and inaction from fire officials and police did little to help the situation, he said.

“They were complaining that there were too many residents about, but there weren't any fire trucks or fire facilities putting out the fire.”

Mr Mayson’s landlord, Reza Ebrahim, who has lived on the street since he was a child, helped to deploy the hose.

When the fire service finally arrived, community members chipped in, providing buckets of water to the firefighters.

“It was extremely scary but we have the most amazing community in our street,” said Woodstock resident Kerryn Calitz. “Everyone jumped in to help the firefighters.”

Although the fire in Woodstock has been put out, dust and ash linger in the air and the blaze continues to rage on the mountain.

Four helicopters water-bombed the flames, but have been unable to put out the fire due to the high winds which are frequent in the Cape.

Local residents have been warned about smoke and soot in the air, and have been told to keep windows and doors closed.

Hikers have been urged to leave the Table Mountain National Park and move any vehicles parked there.

Police say that least part of the fire may have been caused on purpose.

South African Police Service Lt Col Andrè Traut told The National that a 35-year-old man was arrested near the foot of the mountain on Sunday night and charged with arson.

Two other suspects “managed to evade arrest,” he said, adding that a member of the local neighbourhood watch had alerted the authorities after witnessing three people starting a fire on the mountain.

“The circumstances surrounding the case are being investigated and an appearance in court is yet to be scheduled,” Col Traut said.

Hundreds of students evacuated their university accommodation on Sunday and were moved to safer locations around the city.

Volunteers at Gift of the Givers providing provisions and food for evacuated students and firefighters. Courtesy of Gift of the Givers

Disaster relief organisation Gift of the Givers has been visiting UCT accommodation to assess needs first hand, while volunteers prepared meals for the students at Old Mutual West Campus, in the city’s Pinelands suburb. The organisation has given support to around 4,000 students and 160 firefighters.

Dr Imtiaz Sooliman founded Gift of the Givers after he was instructed by a spiritual Sufi master from Istanbul on 6 August, 1992.

"Islam emphasises compassion and mercy to all more so in the month of Ramadan so assisting now is doubly essential as it is in keeping with the spirit of Ramadan. However, our response will be equally decisive out of Ramadan," Dr Sooliman told The National.