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Firefighters battle blaze for 4th night - As it happened

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04 Mar 2015

Firefighters will continue through the night to fight a fire that started on Sunday. The fire had been contained but started again just after 02:00 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.

One city firefighter sustained burn wounds while 52 frail-care residents from the Noordhoek retirement village were treated for smoke inhalation.

04 Mar 2015

Cycle Tour shortened to 47km.
Read full article on Sport24.

04 Mar 2015

The Independent Municipal and Allied Trade Union on Wednesday commended firefighters battling to put out the fire that broke out along the Cape Peninsula.

"Our members in the fire fighting division have been battling large fires in Muizenberg, Ou Kaapse Weg, Chapman's Peak at the Hout Bay side, Tokai Forest and Noordhoek, since Sunday," the union said in a statement.

"Strong winds have made this already difficult situation worse and additional fire-fighters and volunteers have been deployed in efforts to bring the fires under control."

The union thanked disaster management teams, fire-fighters, the Table Mountain National Park, Working On Fire volunteers, Wild Land Fire Services, municipal officials and all volunteers for their hard work. The fire started on Sunday, and was contained but started again just after 02:00 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. One city firefighter sustained burn wounds while 52 frail-care residents from the Noordhoek retirement village were treated for smoke inhalation. - Sapa

04 Mar 2015

Residents are advised to steer clear of affected areas as it impacts the work of the firefighters. - City of Cape Town

04 Mar 2015

Announcement for Cape Town Cycle Tour:

It’s been an extremely worrying and tense week for Cape Town. For the last four days our beautiful Southern Peninsula, that the iconic Cape Town Cycle Tour traditionally passes through, has been on fire.

It’s been devastating. Fire fighters have worked day and night battling the flames in sweltering heat as experienced pilots fly choppers to drop buckets of water on the flames.

Emergency teams, paramedics, health officials and disaster experts have gone the extra mile, saving lives and preventing homes from burning down. It’s been very heartening to see how the public has responded to the crisis. They have rushed to bring necessities – eye drops, ice, drinks, food for the fire fighters.

They have also pledged donations to buy much-needed resources. They have given much more than money – they have opened their hearts and given their humanity. Cape Town is a city of Good Samaritans – a city of heroes.

And we, at the Cycle Tour, are humbled by the overwhelming outpouring of good. We see that outpouring of good every single year at the Cycle Tour. The Cape Town Cycle Tour is a celebration of good times for the 35 000 people who participate in the event.

We also know that so many people working tirelessly behind the scenes to make those good times possible.

04 Mar 2015

BREAKING NEWS: The 2015 Cape Town Cycle Tour, scheduled to take place on Sunday, has been shortened from 109km to a 47km circular route due to the fires raging on the South Peninsula.

04 Mar 2015

Cape Point fire confirmed as contained. Fire-fighting teams remain on site to deal with flare ups, fire should be completely put out within the next hour. - SANParks

04 Mar 2015

Update from Four Paws SA:

Four Paws South Africa would like to thank everyone that came to the briefing in Noordhoek, your support is greatly appreciated.

To reiterate what we have already said: • Please do not attempt to go onto the mountain or into the fire affected zones. This is for your safety as well as the environment.

• Please start talking to friends, family and neighbours to advise them that there is an influx of animals that will be coming into the urban areas.

• Make water available in your garden.

• When encountering a wild animal attempt to establish whether it is injured or not.

• Do not attempt to handle the animal, this could cause the animal pain and you being injured.

• Contact Four Paws o/h 021 702 4277 or the SPCA a/h 083 326 1610/01/07

• Keep an eye on the animal until help arrives to ensure that it does not disappear.

Thank you for your support, we will continue to update you as we move forward to helping the affected animals.

04 Mar 2015

Cape Point fire contained; fire-fighting teams remain on site dealing with smaller flare-ups.- SANParks

04 Mar 2015

The helicopters used to water-bomb the flames have had to stand down because of the smoke and weather, city of Cape Town's mayoral committee member for safety and security JP Smith said in a statement.

Another fire broke out inside the Cape Point Nature Reserve on Wednesday, he said. A total of 13 properties were affected.

"Three of the properties have been completely destroyed, two in Constantia and one in Noordhoek. Boyes Drive and Chapman's Peak Drive remained closed to traffic. Earlier, the city's disaster risk management centre said the rain in Cape Town was helping.

"If it rains hard, it is a bonus for us, but the drizzle doesn't really do much. There is also very little wind in the area," spokesperson Charlotte Powell said.

"When it rains, visibility is a problem for the helicopters so we will have to withdraw our aerial support. The choppers have been water-bombing certain areas." She said the rain was falling mostly in the Hout Bay area. A total of 500 people had been evacuated since the fires began on Sunday. - Sapa

04 Mar 2015

More than 2 000 people are helping to quell the fire in Muizenberg that broke out over the weekend, the environmental affairs department said on Wednesday.

This figure included 150 members of the department's Working on Fire (WoF) programme, department spokesperson Zolile Nqayi said in a statement.

Fifty more people from Volunteer Wildfires Services and 250 WoF firefighters had been dispatched from other provinces to join the effort. A total of 26 aircraft had been in the air since Sunday, Nqayi said.

"Eleven helicopters, six fixed-wing bombers, and nine spotters which are based in Tulbagh, Porterville, Donkerhoek, Stellenbosch, Bredasdorp, Stilbaai, Newlands, Plettenberg Bay and Knysna, have been deployed to fight these 11 fires."

The 198 flying hours already flown cost an estimated R2.4 million. About two million litres of water had been dumped on the fire in about 2000 water drops. - Sapa

04 Mar 2015

EWN reported that baboon monitors are on Groot Constantia property keeping watch over the largest troop on the peninsula.
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