CAPE TOWN – More than 100 firefighters battled two blazes on the slopes of South Africa's Table Mountain on Wednesday, and national parks authorities said they were starting to bring them under control after the fires threatened to move toward nearby Cape Town.
South African National Parks, which manages the mountain, said 115 firefighters, four helicopters and two planes had been deployed and there had been “significant progress.”
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The fires have burned since at least Sunday on the flat-topped mountain that overlooks Cape Town. A meeting of finance ministers and central bank governors from Group of 20 countries began Wednesday in the city and was due to continue Thursday. There was no danger to the gathering.
Fires are common in the Cape Town region in the hot, dry summer months between December and April, when they are often fed by strong coastal winds.
A fire on Table Mountain in 2021 was the worst in recent years and burned down historic buildings at the University of Cape Town and forced neighborhoods to be evacuated.
No injuries have been reported in the latest fires. National Parks said firefighters would remain on Table Mountain through the night as fires could revive if the wind picks up.
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AP Africa news: https://apnews.com/hub/africa