A helicopter above Kanonberg Lifestyle Estate prepares to water bomb the vegatation fire above homes on Tygerberg Hills on 25 January 2024. (Photo: Shelley Christians) A heat wave in Cape Town continued this week, with temperatures climbing above 30°C in the northern suburbs. On Thursday morning, a vegetation fire broke out on Tygerberg Hills. Throughout the day there were numerous flare-ups near Kanonberg and Baronetcy Estate.
/file/dailymaverick/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/Tygerberg-fire-14-1.jpg "A man films a helicopter collecting water in a dam near Kanonberg Lifestyle Estate. A fire on Tygerberg Hills came close to homes in Cape Town’s northern suburbs on 25 January 2024. (Photo: Shelley Christians)")
/file/dailymaverick/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/Tygerberg-fire-17.jpg "A helicopter battles a fire on Tygerberg Hills near the nature reserve. (Photo: Shelley Christians)")
/file/dailymaverick/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/Tygerberg-fire-11.jpg "Residents watch a helicopter water bombing the vegetation fire on Tygerberg Hills. (Photo: Shelley Christians)")
The spokesperson for the City of Cape Town’s Fire and Rescue Service, Jermaine Carelse, said 20 firefighting resources had been on the scene, as well as two helicopters water-bombing hotspots. Firefighters were treated for heat exhaustion, but no injuries were reported.
Homes were evacuated at Kanonkop and Oude West as flames edged closer to the two gated estates. Two helicopters water-bombed the area until 5pm, and ground crews were still on the scene at sundown. The helicopters scooped water from a dam near Kanonkop Lifestyle Centre while battling the fire.
Carelse said: “We would like to thank the public and businesses that dropped off refreshments for all those crews.”
Many residents gathered to watch as smoke billowed down the hill.
/file/dailymaverick/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/Tygerberg-fire-18.jpg "Helicopters battle the Tygerberg Hills blaze. (Photo: Shelley Christians)")
/file/dailymaverick/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/Tygerberg-fire-09.jpg "Residents gather to watch the flames come close to their homes near the top of Tygerberg Hills. (Photo: Shelley Christians)")
/file/dailymaverick/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/Tygerberg-fire-08.jpg "Teams of firefighters came to help fight the blaze. (Photo: Shelley Christians)")
/file/dailymaverick/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/Tygerberg-fire-07.jpg "Firefighter ground crews were stationed close to homes while two helicopters battled the blaze. (Photo: Shelley Christians)")
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