Cape Town - As the firefighters battled the flames, animal rescue teams raced in behind them, ready to save every life they could.
The fire at the Newlands Ravine spread to the front face of Table Mountain National Park on Sunday, raging for most of this week.
It took three days for the firefighters to contain the blaze in areas including those that were inaccessible.
SANParks spokesperson, JP Louw, on Thursday said: “This fire broke out on Sunday morning, and firefighters were immediately deployed to fight the fire, followed by aerial resources at first light. The fire then flared-up on Tuesday night due to strong winds. By Thursday morning, the Newlands Ravine, the front face of Table Mountain and the surroundings had been suppressed. While the Redhill fire (Ocean View), which started later on Sunday, was tentatively contained on Wednesday afternoon, there was a flare-up later and three new fires. These fires have been contained, but fire suppression activities are still ongoing."
Louw said Platteklip Gorge and Kloof corner trails have since been reopened to the public, while Maclear’s Beacon and Devil's Peak to Newlands remain closed.
"Tafelberg Road is closed from the Platteklip parking towards Devil's Peak. All trails in Newlands Forest are closed, including Rhodes Memorial and Blockhouse," said Louw.
Animal Welfare Society SA (AWS SA) spokesperson, Allan Perrins, said: “After spending five gruelling days in the Boland assisting with firefighting efforts and searching for animals caught up in the wildfires that decimated large parts of Wellington and Tulbagh, our Incident Response Team was redeployed to the Red Hill and Table Mountain wildfires on Tuesday.
“They, together with their colleagues from local Deep South animal welfare organisation TEARS and Volunteer Wildfire Services (VWS), left the scene at 1:30am, and on Wednesday afternoon they were back on site, scouring the scorched terrain for any injured or displaced animals.
“Our hospital team is ready to treat any casualties, and our animal care centre crew is ready to receive any domestic pets needing temporary refuge.
"This indefatigable team deserve our respect.
"Since Tuesday last week, they have driven well over 1 000 kilometres, sent countless reports and hundreds of images to our command centre, worn out the soles of their safety boots, signed their uniforms and remained calm and effective under the most trying of circumstances,” said Perrins.
During the search surrounding Redhill, inspectorate controller Crystal Fester discovered the charred remains of an angulated tortoise and her incinerated clutch of eggs.
“This upsetting sight of these unassuming animals too slow to escape the blaze, we will continue searching the mountainside until we are sure that no animal has been left to suffer.”
Cape of Good Hope SPCA spokesperson, Belinda Abraham, said the wildfires that swept through Cape Town’s natural vegetation left a trail of devastation, especially for wildlife.
“Our Wildlife Unit steps in during these emergencies to rescue and care for animals injured or displaced by the flames.
“From treating burns to rehydrating dehydrated animals, our team works tirelessly to provide critical care and relocate animals safely back to the wild.
“Many animals suffer severe injuries during wildfires, and while some can recover in our short-term care facility, those beyond veterinary help can at least be offered merciful euthanasia.
“Your support ensures that we can respond swiftly to these emergencies. It helps us stock critical supplies, provide medical care, and keep our rescue teams ready to protect our wildlife."
The public can report injured or displaced wildlife to the 24-hour emergency line at 021 700 4158/59.