Gustible - under the rubric of [$_SELF]

Just after nine o’clock last night, Lindy and I remarked to each other that we can smell yet another veld-fire. Just before one we were woken up by the sirens, and the strong smell of smoke.
Devil’s Peak was burning. And the fire was raging five hundred meters from our house. Going outside one could actually feel the heat from the fire, which was approaching from the direction of Rhodes Memorial.

The spot “E” on the map shows University Estate, where we live. The fire was burning against the mountain – towards the bottom of the map (the south) and bordering onto de Waal Drive.

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Although there has been many fires on Table Mountain, this was the first time it struck this close to home. The police were driving up and down the neighbourhood, warning residents to prepare for evacuation. We hastily grabbed a few things, got the dogs on leashes. But what does one take ? A toothbrush, hard drives with photographs. Yes. A laptop, identity documents and passports ? Yes. What about books ? Pictures ? Clothing ? Those pretty beads we bought in Madurai ? The prints from Jaipur ? Maybe grab the carpet from Fez ? No, no and no.

All the neighbours were gathered in the street – anxiously watching the fire burning just across de Waal drive. Cinders and ash were flying everywhere – our eyes tearing. It would have taken but a single flaming cinder to light up the trees lining de Waal drive, and let the fire cross over to the residential neighbourhood. The smoke clouds looked like a sea-fog rolling in, but from the mountain side.

The fire burning across de Waal drive is visible in the pictures below, as is the red glow as the fire sped towards Vredehoek.

But it turns out we were very fortunate indeed – due to the valiant efforts of the City of Cape Town’s firefighters, we did not have to evacuate. The polices reassured us around two in the morning that we could safely return to bed.

Nevertheless this reminds one of how exposed to the elements we all are. Whether we live in big houses on the slopes of the mountain, or shacks on the flatlands. In Cape Town one is caught between the sea and the mountain, always in the path of the winds and storms.

It became clear this morning that the fire started at Rhodes Memorial, and was driven across the face of Devil’s Peak by the winds. Two indigent people were badly injured, and some firefighters were less seriously injured. According to one of our neighbours (who has been living here for 30 years) the big fire of 1980 was much worse. Thank goodness it’s not 1980 anymore, I guess

The morning after – de Waal Drive is still closed, the fires are still smoldering, and the helicopters buzzing away.

These pictures were taken from our back verandah this morning, showing the smoke hanging over Devil’s Peak: