2000 Table Mountain fire explained

Table Mountain Fire
Year:2000
Date:January 16 - January 20, 2000
Total Area:10000ha
Cost:USD $3 Million in firefighting costs
Coordinates:-33.9525°N 18.4611°W
Pushpin Map:South Africa
Pushpin Map Caption:Location in South Africa
Location:Table Mountain National Park, South Africa
Total Fires:Over 120

The 2000 Table Mountain fire was a number of large veld fires that burned in and around the Table Mountain National Park in Cape Town, South Africa from 16 January to 20 January 2000. Over 120 fires were reported to have started around the Cape metropolitan area and spread rapidly due to dry and windy conditions on 16 January 2000.[1] [2]

By the time the last fire was put out on 20 January 2000 over 10,000 ha had been burned across the Western Cape with 8,000 ha burned in the South Peninsula alone. It is estimated that fire caused around US$500 million in insurance claims alone . Over 70 houses and 200 informal dwellings were damaged or destroyed. Over 1,200 firefighters and other official and volunteer personal were involved in fighting the fire at a cost of $3 million.

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Fires in the Southern Cape Peninsula, Western Cape Province, South Africa January 2000 . Global Fire Monitoring Center . 22 April 2000 . 5 March 2015 . Michael Calvin and Deborah Wettlaufer.
  2. Web site: Cape fire: similar inferno in 2000 . Cape Argus . 4 March 2015 . 5 March 2015 . Kieran Legg.