More than 120 firefighters are battling the massive blaze, and four helicopters have been deployed to help with the efforts, according to a media release shared by a Twitter account associated with the park. The city has taken to social media to document events that have been described as nothing short of “dramatic.” "The fire created its own wind that further increased the rate of spread. The excessive amount of smoke and related updrafts made it impossible for the aerial support to slow the rate of spread," the park added.
The blaze is believed to have been caused by a fire made by a vagrant and not put out properly, according to SANParks. The restaurant at Rhodes Memorial has burned down almost completely. Public donations towards the firefighting efforts can be dropped off at the Roeland Street fire station. Anyone who wishes to provide donations is advised that the four items required are: water, Energade, snacks and eye drops.
One woman in the park said she was "trying to outrun the fire" in a video posted on Twitter, which showed a plume of smoke in the background. In a later tweet, Lisette Lombard said she was safe but her car had been "destroyed." "Never have I experienced a fire that spread so unpredictably fast. I have so much respect for our firefighters," she added. The cause of the fire, which broke out on the slope of Table Mountain on Sunday morning is unknown, Jermaine Carelse, spokesperson for Cape Town Fire and Rescue told CNN. Authorities were notified around 8:45 a.m. local (2.45 a.m. ET) and are currently fighting the fire, which is being fanned by wind, Carelse said.
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The fire spread from the vicinity of Philip Kgosana Drive, which borders table Mountain National Park, to the Rhodes Memorial continuing further towards University of Cape Town buildings, Carelse said. Earlier on Sunday, the National Park's Twitter account requested that onlookers "refrain from entering the area and keep the area clear for emergency vehicles to pass" as the fire was "out of control." It added that all hikers within the Newlands and Rhodes Memorial area should evacuate with immediate effect. The Table Mountain is a flat-roofed mountain that overlooks Cape Town, and is a major tourist attraction. The National Park is 25,000 hectares and is home to 8,200 plant species, according to its website.
