Fire crews worked for a third day to extinguish a wildfire on the slopes of Cape Town’s Table Mountain on Tuesday as the city came to terms with the damage caused by what officials have described as one of the area’s worst blazes in years.
South_Africa_Cape_Town_Fire_97587 Water bombing helicopters hover by the slopes of Cape Town's, Table Mountain slopes, in South Africa, Tuesday, April 20, 2021. Fire crews worked for a third day to extinguish a wildfire as the city came to terms with the damage caused by what officials have described as one of the area's worst blazes in years. (AP Photo/Nardus Engelbrecht)
AP Photo/Nardus Engelbrecht
APTOPIX_South_Africa_Cape_Town_Fire_12906 A Capetonian watches the sun rise from the top of Signal Hill as smoke engulfs the city of Cape Town, South Africa, Tuesday April 20, 2021. A massive fire spreading on the slopes of the city's famed Table Mountain, at right, is kept under control as firemen and helicopters take advantage of the low winds to contain the blaze. (AP Photo/Jerome Delay)
AP Photo/Jerome Delay
South_Africa_Cape_Town_Fire_61602 Smoke engulfs the city of Cape Town, South Africa, Tuesday April 20, 2021. A massive fire spreading on the slopes of the city's famed Table Mountain, at right, is kept under control as firemen and helicopters take advantage of the low winds to contain the blaze. (AP Photo/Jerome Delay)
AP Photo/Jerome Delay
South_Africa_Cape_Town_Fire_04373 As smoke engulfs the South African city of Cape town, a South African Military helicopter ferries water used to control a massive fire spreading on the slopes of Table Mountain Tuesday, April 20, 2021. (AP Photo/Jerome Delay)
AP Photo/Jerome Delay
South_Africa_Cape_Town_Fire_77757 A South African military helicopter drops water on the top of Table Mountain in Cape Town, South Africa, Tuesday, April 20, 2021. A massive fire spreading on the slopes of the city's famed Table Mountain is kept under control as firemen and helicopters take advantage of the low winds to contain the blaze. (AP Photo/Jerome Delay)
AP Photo/Jerome Delay
APTOPIX_South_Africa_Cape_Town_Fire_04169 Residential neighborhoods are lit by raging fires in Cape Town, South Africa, Monday, April 19, 2021. Residents are being evacuated from Cape Town neighborhoods after a huge fire spreading on the slopes of the city's famed Table Mountain was fanned by strong winds overnight and threatened houses.(AP Photo/Jerome Delay)
AP Photo/Jerome Delay
APTOPIX_South_Africa_Cape_Town_Fire_80650 A Capetonian watches the sun rise from the top of Signal Hill as smoke engulfs the city of Cape Town, South Africa, Tuesday April 20, 2021. A massive fire spreading on the slopes of the city's famed Table Mountain, at right, is kept under control as firemen and helicopters take advantage of the low winds to contain the blaze. (AP Photo/Jerome Delay)
AP Photo/Jerome Delay
South_Africa_Cap_Town_Fire_56739 A South African military helicopter drops his water load on the top of Table Mountain in Cape Town, South Africa, Tuesday April 20, 2021. Fire crews worked for a third day to extinguish a wildfire on the slopes of Cape Town's Table Mountain on Tuesday as the city came to terms with the damage caused by what officials have described as one of the area's worst blazes in years. (AP Photo/Jerome Delay)
AP Photo/Jerome Delay
A helicopter hovers above the smoke which engulfs the city of Cape Town, South Africa, Tuesday April 20, 2021. A massive fire spreading on the slopes of the city's famed Table Mountain, at right, is kept under control as firemen and helicopters take advantage of the low winds to contain the blaze. (AP Photo/Nardus Engelbrecht)
AP Photo/Nardus Engelbrecht
South_Africa_Cape_Town_Fire_57259 Capetonians watch the sun rise from the top of Signal Hill as smoke engulfs the city of Cape Town, South Africa, Tuesday, April 20, 2021. A massive fire spreading on the slopes of the city's famed Table Mountain, at right, is kept under control as firemen and helicopters take advantage of the low winds to contain the blaze. (AP Photo/Jerome Delay)
AP Photo/Jerome Delay
APTOPIX_South_Africa_Cape_Town_Fire_94822 A helicopter hovers above the smoke which engulfs the city of Cape Town, South Africa, Tuesday April 20, 2021. A massive fire spreading on the slopes of the city's famed Table Mountain, at right, is kept under control as firemen and helicopters take advantage of the low winds to contain the blaze. (AP Photo/Nardus Engelbrecht)
CAPE TOWN, South Africa (AP) — Fire crews had largely contained a big wildfire on the slopes of Cape Town’s Table Mountain on Tuesday as the city started to come to terms with the damage caused by what officials described as one of the area’s worst blazes in years.
About 90% of the fire had been contained, the Table Mountain National Park authority said, but only after firefighters again worked through the night and were into a third day battling the flames.
Those firefighters faced “extreme circumstances” overnight, said the Working on Fire organization, which specializes in dealing with wildfires and has been helping the city’s fire department. The operation on Table Mountain had now reached the “mop-up” stage, Working on Fire said.
Fire-fighting helicopters dropped water on areas where the fire still smoldered and smoked on the rocky peaks of Table Mountain. South African army choppers joined the operation to support the fire department after the helicopters were all grounded Monday because of strong winds.
The winds had eased, but thick smoke still hung over the city and fire crews watched for flareups.
“Our first priority remains fully extinguishing all of the fire lines,” local government official Anton Bredell said. “Then, over the next few days, firefighters will continue to dampen down the affected areas and monitor for flareups until we are 100% sure the fire is out.
“Once the fire has been extinguished, the investigation into the cause of the fire will be conducted.”
Wildfires are reasonably common in the mountains and peaks around Cape Town during the hot, dry summer months and become especially dangerous and unpredictable when fueled by strong coastal winds.
They sometimes spark because of the heat and dry ground, and other times are a result of fires set by people blowing out of control.
This fire started early Sunday and, fueled by strong winds, ripped down and across the slopes of the mountain toward residential areas overlooking downtown Cape Town.
Neighborhoods were evacuated while firefighters mostly kept the flames at bay and away from homes — sometimes with just a few meters to spare. Around 250 firefighters were mobilized.
In all, 11 buildings were destroyed, six firefighters have been hurt battling the blaze and nine other people have been treated for breathing problems because of smoke inhalation, city authorities said.
The University of Cape Town campus was one of the first sites to be hit and appears to have suffered the most damage. Numerous buildings at the university burned, including part of a near 100-year-old library containing rare books and manuscripts on African studies. The university said some of those “priceless” works had been lost, but it was unclear yet how much.
Other historic buildings nearby, including a 225-year-old windmill and a renowned restaurant and tea room near a memorial to British colonial politician Cecil Rhodes, also burned down.
At the tea room, plates and half-full cups sat on charred tables amid the ruins, showing how customers and staff had been forced to suddenly flee. Small fires still burned in the nearby forest.
The South African government said a residence owned by its Department of Public Works and Infrastructure was completely destroyed by the fire. The house was empty at the time but family members of a national minister and two deputy ministers had to be evacuated from their homes nearby. The fire also came close to South African Deputy President David Mabuza’s Cape Town residence, the government said.
Around 600 hectares (1,482 acres) of land had burned, the Table Mountain National Park authority estimated.
