On Saturday (April 27), Table Mountain National Park (TMNP) reported several fires following lightning strikes in multiple areas, which has led to the closure of certain tourist activities.
Following the latest assessment conducted by TMNP’s Fire Management team, a Skeleton Gorge fire currently has a number of hot spot areas in the mountain cliffs and behind Kirstenbosch Gardens.
“Aerial resources have been placed on standby for firefighting, but operations are currently not possible due to challenging wind conditions and cloud cover,” SANParks said in a press release.
Today (April 29), ground crews from TMNP NCC Wildfires Environmental Services, Working on Fire (leading global integrated fire management agency), as well as the City of Cape Town Biodiversity unit, will be deployed, with staff presence scheduled for overnight monitoring.
“Given the fire's location in inaccessible terrain, particularly in the cliffs, it poses ongoing risks, especially if wind patterns shift. For safety reasons, we urge hikers to avoid the area until further notice,” SANParks cautioned.
The latest update on affected hiking areas in TMNP is as follows:
- Back Table and Skeleton Gorge: Newlands Forest access area (Fire Base) and surrounding trails will remain closed to members of the public. Trails from Constantia Nek to Newlands Forest will also remain closed. Camps Bay and Hout Bay trails have been reopened.
- Cape of Good Hope: Hiking routes from Gifkommetjie to Circles Vlei and trails originating from Olifantsbos, as well as Sirkelvlei hiking trail and Link Road cycling route in the Cape of Good Hope section, have been reopened.
During the weekend's fire operations, more than 20 guests were evacuated from two accommodation sites in TMNP, namely Overseers Cottage along the Back Table, as well as Olifantsbos in the Cape of Good Hope, as a safety precaution.
