Arsonist Arrested Hiding on Table Mountain, 9 Hectares of Land Destroyed Following Devastating Fire

• One person was arrested after he was caught hiding on Table Mountain following a devastating fire
• The man was one of three people spotted near the ignition area of a fire that destroyed nine hectares of land
• South Africans are hoping that there is a very strict sentence in store for the arrested arsonist

WESTERN CAPE – One man has been detained and charged with arson for a devastating fire at Table Mountain National Park.

The man was arrested after he was found hiding behind a rock at the Platteklip Gorge.

Two other men were spotted fleeing the scene of the ignition area and remain at large.

Devastating fire rips through Table Mountain

Firefighters have had two busy days battling a devastating fire that started on Sunday, 29 December.

While they were able to battle most of the blaze on Sunday, flare-ups during the night made matters worse.

Read also

Limpopo police launch manhunt for primary school burglars, suspects stole items worth over R29,000

SANParks stated that approximately nine hectares of land were burnt before the fire was contained.

Thankfully, no fatalities were reported, and only one firefighter was injured during firefighting efforts.

The area is no stranger to devastating fires. In June 2021, an investigation found that a fire on the mountain that destroyed much of the UCT campus was started intentionally.

Firefighter airlifted Table Mountain

One firefighter had to be airlifted off the mountain after he suffered an injury while battling the blaze.

According to reports, the 30-year-old and his team were making their way up Union Ravine when he slipped and fell. He is said to have landed awkwardly on his knee.

A rescue helicopter was flown to the scene, where a paramedic treated him before he was airlifted from the mountain and eventually taken by ambulance to a nearby hospital.

His story had a much happier ending than that of firefighters in KwaZulu-Natal who were battling a blaze in Boston. A number of them were killed while dealing with a veld fire on 14 July on the R617.

Read also

2 people killed in N2 tragedy, South Africans fume as overloaded taxi loses control and crashes

South Africans want tough sentence for arsonist

While social media users praised all those involved in battling the blaze, others wondered what sentence the arsonist would get.

Some hoped that he was punished sufficiently to set an example to others.

Ursula Wright wondered:

“Wonder what slap on the wrist the suspect will get? Be out tomorrow again.”

Rodney Mattheys said:

“Lifetime in jail would be a suitable punishment.”

Nicolette Elizabeth Bedford stated:

“I suppose there will be 50 excuses for why he did this. Then, the taxpayer will be gifting his jail time. I hope it's at least 10 years in Pollsmoor.”

Beth Doe MacGregor added:

“Well done to the authorities. We watch with bated breath, hoping for a severe sentence. Huge consequences as you don't play with fire, intentional or not.”

Frieda Esterhuyse said:

“Glad the person was caught. We need a very strict sentence.”

Janine Filmer stated:

“Arson should carry a heavy prison sentence. If our firefighters weren't so efficient, this could have been much worse.”

Read also

Parking space dispute leads to murder in Verulam, SA disappointed

Tourist robbed at Lion's Head

Table Mountain and Lion's Head are two of Cape Town's most popular tourist destinations, but both have had problems recently.

Table Mountain is affected by the devastating fires, while Lion's Head has had issues of unsuspecting tourists being robbed.

Briefly News reported that a tourist and his friend were robbed at knifepoint on 27 December on the popular hiking trail.

Source: Briefly News