Wildfire raging on Cape Town’s Table Mountain spread to the University of Cape Town, forcing thousands of students to evacuate.


A wildfire raging on the slopes of Cape Town’s Table Mountain spread to the University of Cape Town, burning the historic campus library and forcing the evacuation of students on Sunday.

Orange flames lit up the windows of the library that houses considerable archives and book collections while firefighters sprayed jets of water to douse the blaze. At least two floors of Jagger Library burned, according to local news reports.

Other campus buildings also caught fire, and a historic windmill nearby burned.

More than 100 firefighters and emergency personnel were deployed to the university campus and to Table Mountain National Park. Four helicopters were being used to drop water on threatened areas, officials said.

One firefighter was injured and being treated at a hospital, according to the Cape Town fire and rescue department.

Residents have been cautioned to be on alert, Charlotte Powell, spokeswoman for the city’s disaster risk management center, said in a statement.
“At this stage, there’s no cause to evacuate, but we ask that residents adhere to the following: close all windows to prevent draft and reduce heat, damp down your garden using a hose or irrigation system," said Charlotte Powell, spokeswoman for Cape Town's disaster risk management center
More than 100 firefighters and emergency personnel were deployed to the university campus and to Table Mountain national park. Four helicopters were being used to drop water on threatened areas, officials said.

Table Mountain national park fire manager Philip Prins said in a statement that the fire had spread particularly rapidly because of the mountain’s “very old pine trees and their debris. 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 spread.”

Residents have been cautioned to be on alert, Charlotte Powell, spokesperson for the city’s disaster risk management centre, said in a statement.

“At this stage, there’s no cause to evacuate, but we ask that residents adhere to the following: close all windows to prevent draft and reduce heat, damp down your garden using a hose or irrigation system,” Powell said.
The Jagger library houses the university’s Special Collections library, which houses priceless archival material, including rare books, manuscripts, photographs and documents such as anti-Apartheid pamphlets. Some of these have been digitised.

Table Mountain national park called on social media for hikers to leave the area and for motorists to remove cars parked in the vicinity.

A first alert went up shortly before 9am (0700 GMT), city authorities said.

Three helicopters joined the fight, dumping water on the inferno, they added.

The University’s vice-chancellor, Prof Mamokgethi Phakeng, said in a statement that “all academic activities will be suspended [Monday] and on Tuesday”. Food and