Fire still raging around Simon’s Town, with 200 firefighters battling the blaze

The fire that has swept through Simon’s Town since Tuesday continues to rage on, with around 200 firefighters on the scene on Wednesday afternoon.

“Earlier, crews had to make their way to the area near the Black Marlin Restaurant as the fire was approaching the property, but they managed to avert the danger and the area has now been declared safe,” said City of Cape Town Fire and Rescue spokesperson Jermaine Carelse, at around 3.30pm on Wednesday.

Simon’s Town fire still raging

He added that additional resources have been requested, due to stronger winds that have been forecast for later in the day and overnight.

“The incident management team has laid out specific tactics to minimise any further spread of the fire. As indicated previously, this is a multi-organisational operation, with various agencies working together to get this fire under control,” he said.

Residents were evacuated at 1am on Wednesday as the fire spread across the mountain and approached houses.

Five firefighters injured

Five firefighters sustained injuries and two were taken to the hospital. Initially there were more than 300 firefighters on the ground on Tuesday. Only a single derelict building was damaged on Tuesday night at around 8pm on the grounds of the SA Navy.

Three helicopters were assisting with water-bombing on Wednesday afternoon.

Firefighting equipment, including 20 pumps, four water tankers and four skids, were on scene at 3.30pm on Wednesday.

In addition, the Table Mountain National Park has five tankers and one skid on site, along with various ground teams.

“Staff fought throughout the night to protect homes and other structures, while some precautionary evacuations took place in the vicinity of Barnard and Victory Street. Those who were evacuated have started moving back to their homes,” said mayoral committee member for safety and security JP Smith.

“The fire is not yet contained, but the situation is more manageable. While the cause of the fire is not yet known, I want to urge residents and visitors to be cautious at all times,” said Smith.

The  Disaster Risk Management Centre (DRMC) has advised people that don’t live in the area to stay away from Simon’s Town.

More precautionary evacuations were done on Wednesday afternoon, and DRMC staff are also checking various parking areas along the coastal road to direct members of the public out of the area.

The City’s traffic service has also implemented road closures.

The City also asked the public to provide refreshments at Simon’s Town Fire Station on Long Beach, but warned residents to keep away from the fire line. Donations can include energy drinks, energy sweets, water, chocolates, cooldrinks, eyedrops and non perishable items.