The University of Cape Town will be closed today and tomorrow after a rampaging wildfire gutted their world-famous library, student residences, their microbiology laboratory and damaged several other buildings.
The fire started on the slopes of Rhodes Memorial at 9am yesterday and gutted the famous Rhodes restaurant, which offered stunning views of the city.
UCT students and staff were evacuated as the fire, believed to have been caused by an unattended vagrant fire, and fanned by hot winds spread towards the 191-year-old university by mid-afternoon.
The iconic Mostert Hill windmill was damaged as well as several homes.
Fearful residents of Newlands and surrounding areas evacuated their homes as over 200 firefighters battled the blaze in scorching heat as temperatures rose to 36°C in Cape Town.
Four helicopters from Working on Fire were used to waterbomb the blaze.
Table Mountain National Park (TMNP) spokesperson Babalwa Dlangamandla said: “After the initial investigation, it is surmised that the origin of the fire is from a vacated vagrant fire.
“One of the major contributors to the rapid rate of spread was the 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 rate of spread.”
UCT Vice-Chancellor Professor Mamokgethi Phakeng said due to damage to the university’s buildings as well as the evacuation of residences, all academic activities are suspended today and tomorrow.
“No classes, tutorials, laboratory work or tests will take place... We will assess the situation and provide further updates before midday [tomorrow],” she says.
“Food and emergency accommodation have been arranged for all the students who had to be evacuated. The necessary arrangements have also been made to accommodate our Muslim students.
“Food will be prepared at Old Mutual’s offices in Pinelands and from there it will be distributed to the locations where we are accommodating our students.
“The public have been asked to donate any essential items and food which they may wish to contribute at Old Mutual West Campus, 91 Jan Smuts Road, Pinelands.”
Gift of the Givers have come on board by preparing meals for 4000 students last night.
The organisation said corporates including Pick n Pay, Woolworths, Engen and Old Mutual have all offered assistance.
Mayor Dan Plato visited the site to thank those involved in firefighting efforts.
“It is tragic that literary treasures have been lost at the UCT library, but I have been informed that some of the most valuable works were saved by the quick activation of roller doors,” he said.
Meanwhile, the Animal Welfare Society of South Africa (AWS) says there has been an influx of calls from Walmer Estate pet owners seeking temporary shelter for their pets as residents were forced to evacuate their homes on Monday.
AWS spokesperson Allan Perrins says they activated their emergency disaster contingency plan on Sunday when it became evident that the fire was spreading uncontrollably putting lives and property at risk.
“At first light this morning we had one of our Distressed Animal vehicles manned by our Animal Care Centre Supervisor and a team of volunteers pro-actively patrolling the most severely impacted areas, ”he says.
“We have just started to receive calls from pet owners from Walmer Estate and the greater Woodstock area seeking temporary refuge for their pets.
“We have subsequently recalled our operational team to help ready additional cat enclosures and dog kennels in anticipation of an influx of pets,” he says.