Burnt

A week or two back a British tourist was observed throwing a cigarette butt out of his car window while parked on Table Mountain. The butt started a fire and the tourist tried to drive off but was stopped by the two rangers that witnessed the cause of the fire. This fire raged, out of control, for several days before firefighters could extinguish it. Houses in some suburbs were threatened but fortunately no houses were burnt. Sadly another British tourist, a 65 year old womon, died from smoke inhalation. The person that started the fire is now on bail, awaiting trial on charges of arson and culpable homicide.

This photograph shows some of the devastation wrought on the fynbos that normally covers the mountainsides.