Kirstenbosch blaze 'arson'
2006-02-23 18:07
Cape Town - Arson was suspected to be the cause of a fire near the Kirstenbosch Gardens on the flank of Cape Town's Table Mountain on Thursday afternoon.
Ben Engelbrecht, a gardens spokesperson, said: "I saw another one (fire) start quite independent of the main fire, adjacent to it. There was no wind that could have transferred burning matter."
Engelbrecht said he was satisfied the fire was not posing a threat. Management was satisfied the fire would burn itself out on the fynbos adjacent to Cecilia Forest.
"We are not concerned at the moment," said Engelbrecht, who estimated that 80ha of land had been destroyed.
Meanwhile, Cape Town's regional fire-control centre confirmed that the Kirstenbosch fire was under control about 16:00.
Station officer Clive Smidt said three helicopters were used to waterbomb the fire.
He said a fire burning on the Hout Bay side of the mountain was part of the Kirstenbosch one.
- SAPA