Cape fire: flare-ups being monitored

epa04645162 A fire burns through indigeneous Fynbos vegetation on the World Heritage site Table Mountain National Park as it rages through Clovelly three days after it started in Muizenberg, Cape Town, South Africa 03 March 2015. A fire fanned by gale force south easterly winds has destroyed over 3000 hectares of land and some homes around the Cape Town south peninsula from Muizenberg to Hout Bay. Residents in some areas were forced to evacuate. Rescue personel continue to battle the blaze. EPA/NIC BOTHMA

epa04645162 A fire burns through indigeneous Fynbos vegetation on the World Heritage site Table Mountain National Park as it rages through Clovelly three days after it started in Muizenberg, Cape Town, South Africa 03 March 2015. A fire fanned by gale force south easterly winds has destroyed over 3000 hectares of land and some homes around the Cape Town south peninsula from Muizenberg to Hout Bay. Residents in some areas were forced to evacuate. Rescue personel continue to battle the blaze. EPA/NIC BOTHMA

Published Mar 6, 2015

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Cape Town - The fire which broke out in the South Peninsula last weekend is under control, Cape Town Disaster Risk Management said on Friday.

“The fire is under control,” spokeswoman Charlotte Powell said.

“It's just (a case of) monitoring all the flare-ups now.”

She said there was a “situation” at the Cape Point Nature Reserve but it had been sorted out and was now fine.

The firefighting efforts were scaled back on Thursday.

The City of Cape Town on Thursday said a stop-go system was in place on Boyes Drive but Chapman's Peak Drive remained closed because it was “unsafe” for road users.

The fire started on Sunday and was contained, but flared up again just after 2am on Monday in Muizenberg above Boyes Drive. It was fanned by strong winds.

It spread to Ou Kaapse Weg, Chapman's Peak, Hout Bay, and Tokai.

The city's Fire Safety Division confirmed on Wednesday that 13 properties were affected by the fire.

These included the Tintswalo Lodge at the foot of Chapman's Peak.

Three of the properties - two in Constantia and one in Noordhoek - have been completely destroyed.

By Wednesday, a total of 500 people had been evacuated since the fire began.

Fifty-two frail-care residents from a Noordhoek retirement village were treated for smoke inhalation.

More than 2 000 people were helping to quell the fire on Wednesday, the environmental affairs department said at the time.

A total of 26 aircraft had been in the air since Sunday, Nqayi said.

The 198 hours already flown cost an estimated R2.4 million.

About two million litres of water had been dumped on the fire in about 2 000 water drops.

The helicopters used to water-bomb the flames had to stand down because of the smoke and the weather.

Sapa

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