Fire damages part of cable car boardwalk

A fire on Table Mountain has damaged a section of the boardwalk that is linked to the cable-car station.

NCC Wildfires, Volunteer Wildfire Services, and the City of Cape Town fire department all responded to the emergency last Friday, October 28.

Working on Fire, an integrated fire management department, used a helicopter to help contain and eventually extinguish the fire.

The fire, which started in Fountain Ravine above Camps Bay, flared up throughout Saturday and was eventually put out on Sunday morning.

Wahida Parker, managing director of the Table Mountain Aerial Cableway Company thanked the firefighters for their service.

“There has been damage to the boardwalk at the top station but we are operational and we ask visitors to be mindful of the area that is cordoned off,” said Ms Parker.

“The events of the past two days involved incredible teamwork by all agencies and role-players, and we pay tribute to especially the firefighters who worked to bring the flames under control.

Ms Parker says that they were compelled to suspend passenger operations and to bring any visitors back down to safety. They were able to get the fire-fighters to the top where they could be deployed.

“Despite their heroic efforts, the flames reached the wooden boardwalk at the upper station. We are busy ascertaining the full extent of the damage to determine what work will be required to repair the damage. Some of the pathways are closed to members of the public because of the fire damage suffered,” she said

Ward 54 councillor Nicola Jowell said that on Saturday morning a few hikers were affected by the smoke.

“A group of hikers on the mountain did get into some difficulty after being overwhelmed by the smoke as the winds changed direction. The 12 hikers were assisted off the mountain with a female hiker having to be airlifted off the mountain for urgent medical attention,” said Ms Jowell.

Lauren Howard-Clayton, the spokesperson for SANParks, said they would have firefighters on the scene throughout the week to ensure the safety of visitors and the Table Mountain workforce.

“At this stage the cause of the fire is not known and we are conducting investigations. The area that burnt is about 10 hectares but it could be more depending on the final assessment,” said Ms Howard-Clayton.