South Africa wildfire burns University of Cape Town, country’s oldest working windmill
Heavy smoke engulfed the area, forcing the closure of a major highway and other nearby roads as well as the evacuation of hikers, park visitors, the nearby Kirstenbosch National Botanical Garden and hundreds of students from the university campus.
More than 200 firefighters and emergency personnel supported by four helicopters and a spotter aircraft battled the blaze as it continued to burn late Sunday. Three firefighters were hospitalized with serious burns, said J.P. Smith, a Cape Town security official.
SANParks, which operates South Africa’s national parks, said initial investigation indicated a homeless person started the fire accidentally. Windy conditions, a regular weather feature on the Cape Peninsula, caused the fire to spread and cross the M3 highway, which connects downtown Cape Town to the southern suburbs.
Cape Town Mayor Dan Plato said the flames damaged the Rhodes Memorial restaurant and Mostert’s Mill, South Africa’s oldest working windmill, which was built in 1796. A landmark on the M3 near the campus, the windmill’s thatched roof and four-bladed sails went up in flames as onlookers watched helplessly.
According to city officials and the university, buildings damaged by the fire included the Jagger Library, which houses priceless African studies collections, including unique manuscripts and personal papers.
“It is tragic that literary treasures have been lost at UCT library, but I have been informed that some of the most valuable works were saved by the quick activation of roller doors,” Plato said.
Photographs posted on social media showed flames engulfing university buildings and the Rhodes Memorial restaurant, which appeared to explode from the heat.
Thick smoke filled surrounding neighborhoods and drifted across the city throughout the day.
Wildfires are common in the national park lands that make up the heart of Cape Town, with high temperatures and stiff winds Sunday contributing to the rapid spread of the fire.
