As rain swept across the Cape this week, it brought relief to the charred slopes of Tokai, Noordhoek, Silvermine and surrounding areas. With the fire finally contained, the focus is turning to the scale of destruction, the firefighting efforts, and growing public scrutiny around the City of Cape Town’s fire preparedness.
The blaze consumed over 2 800 hectares of Table Mountain National Park, much of it fynbos – a fire-adapted vegetation unique to the Cape. While this ecosystem will eventually regenerate, not all damage can be undone. Slower-moving wildlife, including tortoises, chameleons, and snakes, were especially vulnerable.
“The loss of life is hard to see,” said Belinda Abraham of the Cape of Good Hope SPCA. “Unlike the fynbos, which will regenerate, these lives are lost forever.”
Still, stories of survival…