110+ Fires in Cape Town within 24 hours. Fire Fighters get Buff.

The last few days have been real swelterers. Today being the worst by far, Hitting at least 39 degrees in Capt Town CBD and the mid 40’s inland. The “comfort factor” in Cape Town was estimated at 44 degrees Celsius which is around 4 million puny Fahrenheit’s. Ok 111 F, but that’s still hot enough to melt amalgams.

The huge downside to the balmy weather, apart from being poisoned by your own melted fillings, is the amount of bush fires that start and devastate areas. Many of the bush fires are started intentionally by idiots, and others unintentionally by idiots. Very few fires start naturally especially in Cape Town as we never see lightening in Summer.

One of the common causes according to the fire department are “bergies” smoking mandrax pipes up in the hills and passing out when they get too high. Informal settlement homes mainly use paraffin stoves for cooking and piles of combustible rubbish can easily start a razing blaze. In the preceding two days have made over 1000 people homeless, destroying 240 shacks. Last year this time, a British tourist was arrested for starting the BIG fire that destroyed many homes and took lives. I never did hear what happened to him… but I will warn all visitors not to throw lit cigarettes out of car windows!! The Fynbos on Table mountain is a protected species and authorities take exception to it being burnt down along with fire-fighters and homes.

110 Fires were reported in the 24 period between midnight Tuesday to midnight Wednesday, but I do believe the worst day was today. The water dropping helicopter was visible most of the day carting its swollen bucket off to one of the many fires dotted about the cape. We have a small wetland area behind our house that caught fire today and filled the neighborhood and our home with smoke and ash. The Fire truck was there and promptly put it out. Good on yer Cape Towns finest. You really have to take your hats off to the fire-fighters, heavy fireproof gear+40degrees (800F) + doing hard labour in the midst of a blaze. I guess it does get them ripped for the off season when they just sit around, make topless calendars and eat Mars bars. That’s a joke, don’t burn my house down.