Cape Town Fire: 1 Reportedly Arrested in Connection With Arson
- One person has been arrested in connection with the enormous blaze raging through Cape Town from Saturday
- Reports have stated that there were two calls in quick succession to law enforcement about people starting fires in the bush
- The unidentified individual has been in police custody since Sunday evening and may face "substantial consequences"
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A man has reportedly been arrested for allegedly starting one of the fires that are taking Cape Town apart. Firefighters have been battling the massive blaze on Table Mountain and received calls about several people making bush fires.
Reports say that there were two calls in succession that people had been seen in the bushes starting fires. There were allegedly three people accused of arson. Law enforcement detained one person for allegedly being present at the area of the fire.
Upon questioning the unnamed individual, the man alleged that he was attempting to stop the fire before telling law enforcement that he had been the one to start it.
Source: Twitter
A report by EWN stated that The City of Cape Town's JP Smith said that it remains unclear if the man had started the fire. Documentation, investigations and witness statements are required before anything can be confirmed.
Smith revealed that there will be a criminal investigation conducted and if the man is found guilty, he will face "substantial consequences".
News24 stated that the fire started in Rhodes Memorial on Saturday, 17 April. The man who was arrested was taken into custody on Sunday evening. The report continued by saying that there have been around 250 firefighters battling the enormous blaze.
Earlier, Briefly News reported that a massive fire was raging on Table Mountain and has already damaged a cafè and buildings as it spread past the Rhodes Memorial. The M3 highway was closed to prevent traffic from entering the city as the fire spread towards the major artery.
Firefighters were fighting the blaze by land and air in an attempt to get the wildfire under control before it reached the city.
Following media reports that two firefighters have lost their lives while fighting against the ravaging fires in Cape Town, many have credited the men and women as brave heroes.
Well-known radio broadcaster Robert Marawa took to his Twitter page to praise the firefighters as national heroes. The Metro FM sports radio host has also sent a message to those who have been affected by the fire.
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Source: Briefly News
