From the BBC:
“Cape Town fire: Residents
evacuated on city's outskirts”
South African emergency workers
have evacuated three 17-storey residential buildings overlooking Cape Town as a
huge fire burns along Table Mountain. The blaze spread quickly after breaking
out on Sunday morning near a memorial to politician Cecil Rhodes. A restaurant
was destroyed. The University of Cape Town's historic library was also badly
damaged. About 250 firefighters have been battling the blaze, which has been
fanned by strong winds. Helicopters were used to water-bomb flames, but their
work had been hampered by the conditions. South African National Parks said
firefighters were alerted at 09:00 local time (07:00 GMT) on Sunday. The flames
spread quickly because of the low humidity and dry bush. The fire created its
own wind further increasing the rate of spread, it added, estimating that
firefighters would need at least three days to control the blaze.
The Table Mountain area is prone
to fires because of its vegetation, but this is the first time it has engulfed
the neighbouring university. City officials said a suspect had been detained
amid speculation that new fires may have been started and the original fire was
an act of arson. "The fire is not under control yet. At this time, the
wind is a major contributing factor," a statement issued by city officials
said. The emergency services have evacuated
some residents from the upmarket suburb of Vredehoek, along the slopes of Table
Mountain. Schools in the suburb have been also ordered to evacuate. "The
fire that initially started in the vicinity of Rhodes Memorial just under 24
hours ago continues to rage and has spread in the direction of Vredehoek,"
city officials said in a statement. Disa Park, which refers to three identical
residential buildings close to the foot of Table Mountain, has also been
evacuated. The nearby University of Cape Town has also been shut and about
4,000 students evacuated.
Historic collections destroyed
(The historic Mostert's Mill is
seen in ruins after the blaze)
The fire destroyed the Reading
Room at the university's 200-year-old Jagger Library, including a unique collection of
African books and archives - many still unexplored. "Some of us
watched from on site with horror and helplessness this elegant and historical
library burn," said the university's executive director of libraries,
Ujala Satgoor. The African Studies section was also damaged by the
blaze. Some 3,500 historic collections were lost, including the Bleek
and Lloyd collection of the indigenous San language, university officials said.
But fortunately not everything was destroyed. The library's fire
doors closed automatically. This prevented the fire from spreading and may have
saved more archives held in the basement, including records of the campaign
against white minority rule in South Africa. The historic Mostert's Mill
was also destroyed. It was built in 1796, and was the oldest surviving windmill
in South Africa. Residents in the area have been warned of smoke and
soot in the air, and told to keep windows and doors closed. Meanwhile
hikers in the Table Mountain National Park have been urged to leave and drivers
who have parked in the area have been told to collect their vehicles.
^ This is sad to hear. Cape Town
has dealt with a lot over the past few years: a severe drought, Covid-19 and
now this fire. ^
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