‘It just moved so fast’ — fire-scarred Cape communities band together amid devastating flames

Scorched ground and blackened tree trunks in the Tokai area on 30 April 2025, following the recent wildfire that swept through the area. (Photo: Kristin Engel)

By Kristin Engel

30 Apr 2025

While firefighting efforts were being scaled back on Wednesday, 30 April 2025, with the recent Cape Town fires largely contained, residents in the affected communities relayed their fears and experiences of the past few days — getting their parents, pets and loved ones to safety amid the unpredictable flames.

Residents in affected communities said the recent fires across the Table Mountain National Park were eerily similar to March 2015, when fires spread in the same areas of the south peninsula.

The residents recounted their experience of the past few days, from being evacuated amid orange and red skies with flames inching closer and closer to their homes near the Noordhoek and Tokai mountainous areas.

The retirement village Faircape Life Noordhoek evacuated 212 of their residents on Sunday, 27 April, as the flames inched closer, with another 48 elderly patients in its healthcare facility having to be evacuated and relocated to other facilities.

Jamie Willis (88), a resident from the village, told Daily Maverick: “The fire was out of control. You could see it.”

Willis said they had multiple helicopters regularly water-bombing the area on Sunday, with a constant whirring of the rotors. He added that things could have turned out vastly different if not for the swift and coordinated response by the volunteer firefighting services, the City of Cape Town and its Disaster Risk Management Centre. Fortunately, no infrastructure was damaged or people injured.

Noordhoek on 30 April 2025 in the aftermath of the Tokai fire in Cape Town. (Photo: Kristin Engel)

Because of the facility’s location on the mountain, village manager Monica Mason said that their evacuation procedures were well rehearsed, with residents preparing small go-bags with their essentials — phones, chargers, medication, chargers for hearing aids, as well as their animals. In fact, the retirement village had a fire drill just last week.

When the evacuation call was made on Sunday, many did not know where to go if their family was out of town. Mason said that councillors set up a centre at the Civic Centre where people who didn’t have anywhere to go could get something to eat and have a hot drink. The King of Kings Baptist Church opened its doors while other people in the area opened up their homes.

Village residents Paul Norton, 81, and Jane Bursey, 70, said that Cape Medical Response was instrumental with their ambulances and personnel in helping to move everybody, not just from the healthcare facility, but also those with mobility issues and in wheelchairs from their homes in the village.

Read more: Cape Town’s Tokai fire: SPCA races to rescue wildlife amid heartbreaking silence of devastation

Pam Gorre, a resident and owner of Littlewood Holiday Cottages in Tokai, shared her experience of the recent fires with Daily Maverick. She first noticed an orange glow on Friday night and was alarmed by the quick spread of the fire, which was exacerbated by leftover tree stumps from previous fires.

“On Friday evening, we saw some orange glow on the mountain, and I thought that was very suspicious. And by Saturday morning, it was like a war had broken out because the helicopters were going; there was a very fast response to it.

“It was really scary, the amount of smoke, and you couldn’t see what was going on,” said Gorre.

She was in the same area for the 2015 fires and knew how fast and unpredictable the fire could be. At the time of the 2015 fires, Daily Maverick reported that thousands of hectares of vegetation had burned, claiming two lives and 13 houses, with at least 500 residents evacuated.

“We were very fortunate this time… I think the last one was worse because we had big blue gums and pines, and I mean, I love trees, but they exploded.”

Gorre said that despite there being little wind, the smoke was thick, affecting visibility and causing concern. But the swift response of the authorities, the firefighters and the community’s resilience and support for each other over the past few days was something that she would remember.

Read more: People warned to steer clear of Cape Town blaze, crews focus on protecting homes

For lifelong Tokai resident Gabrielle Boyle, the past few days brought a terrifying sense of déjà vu.

“I mean, 2015 was horrendous,” she said. “So I think I was calmer this time because I had been through a really bad one before. But the wind turned north and that’s when I started to panic.”

Boyle, who lived in the same house, decided not to evacuate this time despite suffering from asthma and warnings about dangerous smoke inhalation. Instead, she stayed behind with a few trusted friends, wetting rooftops and stuffing downpipes with wet rags – practical tricks learned from previous fires to prevent ember ignition.

Scorched ground and blackened tree trunks in the Tokai area on 30 April, following the recent wildfire that swept through the area. (Photo: Kristin Engel)

The burned backyard garden of resident David Coates in the Zwaanswyk area of Tokai. (Photo: Kristin Engel)

Scorched ground and blackened tree trunks in the Tokai area on 30 April. (Photo: Kristin Engel)

“The smoke was insane. You couldn’t see the end of the garden,” she said. “But I’ve learned to remain calm because if you panic the breathing gets worse.”

For David Coates, whose family home lies near the forest’s edge and whose garden was burned by the fire, the decision to evacuate wasn’t taken lightly.

“It was very, very smoky through the night,” he said. “We stayed on Sunday night, but in hindsight it probably wasn’t the best idea. Still, a few of us staying meant we could manage the flare-ups.”

The fire reached within metres of his garden. Trees exploded on the slopes of Tokai Forest, scattering embers up to 300 metres away.

“That’s the scariest sound for me — when the trees explode. You realise the heat and how fast it’s moving… It just moved so fast.”

@dctravels80 We decided we couldn’t just let it burn and came back to save the house. The garden was ablaze and with the help of some neighbours we managed to save the property. ##tokaifire #capetown ♬ original sound - DCTravels

Like Boyle, Coates pointed to the eerie similarities to the 2015 fire.

“That one was probably worse, our garden was all on fire. But this time the fire reignited twice. I think if the house next door hadn’t already burnt down a few weeks ago, it definitely would have burnt again.”

He and his father returned to the property after evacuating their loved ones and sentimental belongings — passports, paintings, old photographs.

“You can’t replace a painting your mother gave you, even if it’s not worth much money. It’s priceless to us.”

Despite the fear, residents were quick to acknowledge the resilience and solidarity of their communities.

“South Africans really come together in times of crisis,” said Coates. “Neighbours just come and help as soon as they’re needed.”

Unlikely arrested suspect was responsible

On Wednesday morning, City of Cape Town’s Fire and Rescue Service spokesperson Jermaine Carelse said that after battling the flames since Friday, firefighting efforts had been scaled back dramatically on the South Peninsula.

Carelse said that while the area along Boyes Drive into Kalk Bay, around Clovelly and Ou Kaapse Weg into Noordhoek was deemed safe, there were still inaccessible hotspots at Klein Constantia that were being monitored.

He added that emergency services attended hotspots at Tokai Manor House during Tuesday night and that they would remain there until the area was deemed safe.

A suspect who was arrested and detained at Fish Hoek Police Station on Monday after residents spotted him walking with cans, was set to appear in the Simons Town Magistrate’s court on Wednesday, 30 April. However, the case was postponed until Friday, 9 May, for further investigation.

Western Cape SAPS spokesperson Sergeant Wesley Twigg told Daily Maverick that the 37-year-old male was arrested for starting a fire in a conservation area in Clovelly, but that there was no indication that he could be linked to the Table Mountain and surrounding fires.

He will also be charged for the possession of mandrax and in terms of the immigration act.

JP Smith, the City’s Mayoral Committee Member for Safety and Security, told Daily Maverick: “He was making a fire in a place where it was stupid [and] dangerous to do so. He did have drugs on him. Was he responsible for any of the other fires? I don't know. I doubt it.”

Smith said it’s common for people to sleep or move through nature reserve areas and engage in prohibited activities — like stripping bark, lighting fires, or causing other types of damage — especially in places where SANParks or the relevant authorities aren't actively enforcing the rules.

He said these issues were usually overlooked until a disaster struck, like the Cape Town fires, and only then did they suddenly attract widespread attention.

“Then the first person who makes a fire after that is brought to our attention, and in the case of this person, that then leads to an arrest because he was found with drugs, and the fact that he was busy making a fire outside of the fire line, but not that far away that it couldn’t plausibly be him who had made some of the other fires. I doubt it's a doubt he’s the responsible party,” said Smith.

The City has opened a case with SAPS and asked that the City’s investigative unit check on the progress with this investigation to ensure there was a meaningful extent of inquiry with this man, to see where he’s from and what his story is. DM

This article was updated on 1 May 2025 to include JP Smith’s comment and the postponement of the suspect's case.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=REeWvTRUpMk

Categories:

Tags:

DM is much better if you are signed in...

South Africa