A massive wildfire raging across a mountain near Cape Town has posed a significant threat to South Africa’s largest naval base, prompting a battle involving hundreds of firefighters.
Amid the operation conducted on hills overlooking Simon’s Town, authorities reported that five firefighters out of the deployed 300 have sustained injuries.
“Currently three choppers are water bombing the area while over 300 staff are still on the ground,” the Cape Town city fire and rescue department told media.
Driven by strong winds, the blaze encroached upon the Simon’s Town Naval Base, causing damage to one structure. Additionally, nearly 40 nearby residences were evacuated in the early hours of Wednesday as a precautionary measure, according to the department.
Simon’s Town, situated approximately 45 kilometers (28 miles) south of Cape Town along the coastline, has witnessed recurrent wildfires in recent years, particularly in the wine-growing districts.
The region’s susceptibility to such fires has been attributed to repeat heatwaves and severe hot winds, which experts link to the escalating global temperatures. Notably, a 2015 drought marked the driest period in South Africa in 112 years.
