Heat is on firefighters battling Cape's fires
By Lynette Johns and Jeremy Michaels

Fire services were stretched to the limit as the Camps Bay fire drove residents from their luxury houses again on Thursday night - and on the other side of the mountain, a blaze among some of the city's poorest shacks left a baby dead and hundreds homeless.

Hyde Park is just metres away from the Mitchell's Plain fire department, but with resources concentrated on the Camps Bay side, one witness said it took about 20 minutes before firefighters arrived in force at the informal settlement.

By then nothing could be done to save the estimated 60 shacks which went up in flames, or the toddler who burnt to death.

The fire was extinguished by 4am.

This was the fourth fire death in greater Cape Town this week. Earlier, an 18-month-old girl, Bukho Mtshayana, burnt to death in a fire in Nomzamo in the Strand, along with her mother, Nokuphiwa Mtshayana and another resident, Mnonopheli Budaza.

People also lost homes in Langa's Zone 24 and Brown's Farm earlier this week as fires, fanned by a raging south-easter, tore through the areas.

Early on Friday, the Camps Bay fire was out on all fronts, although helicopters were water-bombing hotspots.

Wynand Wessels, director of emergency services for the city, said at one stage on Thursday night there had been 13 appliances on the Camps Bay side and five at Hyde Park.

"To be honest, we can cope, depending on what kind of incidents we get. Of course if everything goes wrong everywhere, no amount of resources would be enough - and last night almost everything went wrong."

Wessels said the department was understaffed, but about 80 recruits were joining next month, and would get on-the-job training.

In addition, the council had appointed 54 seasonal firefighters for the high fire season, which is between December and April.

Also available are two firefighting helicopters, based in Newlands forest.

But in Hyde Park on Thursday night, bystanders who were first on the scene of the fire shortly before 11.30pm said the first tender arrived with only one fireman.

"The lone fireman was powerless to do anything. If there had been more firemen, shacks could have been saved."

But just before midnight, fire engines from Tygerberg, Constantia, South Peninsula and Khayelitsha had arrived to help battle the fire.

Metro rescue paramedics were also on the scene and treated a number of people with minor injuries.

Eight tenders battled for three hours to control the blaze and prevent the fire spreading to homes in Rondevlei.

Firemen, who did not want to be named, said they were stretched to the limit and severely understaffed.

Hyde Park residents were salvaging belongings early on Friday.

The city's disaster management service was preparing to ferry about 350 people to a nearby hall, and the Salvation Army was giving out blankets and food.