CT suburbs face fire horror
26/01/2006 17:26  - (SA)  

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Properties on fire CT fire closes in on houses

Wilmer Muller

Cape Town - The destructive fire on Table Mountain is spreading rapidly towards upmarket Cape Town City Bbowl residential suburbs.

Cape fire chief Piet Smith says some properties are already on fire.

Residents of Higgovale and Oranjezicht are evacuating their homes as firefighting helicopters douse the mountain slopes directly behind the houses.

Vredehoek homes might also be evacuated.

Reports say that the fires ravaging Table Mountain are as close as five metres from some homes.

The fire started about 15:00 and the Cape Town fire department sent firefighters to the mountain.

At this stage, firefighters have about two hours of daylight left to fight the fires.

Three helicopters are collecting water from Table Bay and reservoirs in the vicinity.

A strong southerly wind is pushing the fire up Table Mountain and it is already more than halfway up the mountain. The wind is also driving the fire towards Camps Bay.

Last month, houses in Camps Bay had to be evacuated when a fire raged on the Twelve Apostles side of Table Mountain.

- News24

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