So Vianne and I were catching up on some BSG when she heard some sirens and decided to check out the back door to see if Signal Hill was on fire.
She stepped out, looked around and saw nothing and so turned around to come back in at which point I hear - "Joe come here now!".
I flew up and out to find out what was going on.
This is what we saw:
The words that crossed my mind were "The fires of Mount Doom". That's what it looked like, like some monstrous volcano had erupted in the middle of the city.
I grabbed my camera and we ran out to see what was up.
These were taken between 1:30 and 2:30 am from the bottom reservoir in Gardens.
Vianne wrote the following:
It's 2am on the morning of 18 March 2009.
As Devil's Peak continues to burn, a small group of city bowl residents gather at the Gardens reservoir to stare in horror and disbelief at the lava-like trails of flame visible between billowing clouds of dense black smoke. A car pulls up. A woman and her daughter, evacuated form their Vredehoek home, get out with dogs in tow. The woman is clearly distraught. A moment later another vehicle arrives, followed by a scooter. The interior light goes on and we can see several cats in the car. The driver, a woman named Birgid and her son (on the scooter) Nils, tell us they've been evacuated from the townhouses adjacent to Disa Park, at the foot of Devil's Peak.
Burning, wind-borne embers have traveled as far down as the Fairview complex on Ludlow Street, they say. We huddle together against the cold wind, periodically calling friends to check on them or replying to smses from concerned relatives.
Ironically, from here, we can hear the sound of water running into the reservoir - water that, if it were daylight, could be used bythe choppers to douse the flames. All else is sirens and the white noise of the relentless wind.
There is nothing we can do. And for these women, waiting and watching is the only option tonight. Only dawn will answer the frightened question in their eyes. Only then will they know whether their homes and belongings have been spared. Until then, there is nothing for it but to watch from the relative safety of the car, and pray that the wind dies down.
- Vianne Venter/Source:
Eyewitness News - http://ewn.co.za/articleprog.aspx?id=9110We left just before 3 as the wind was howling and it was getting bitterly cold.
Nobody is sleeping tonight in the City Bowl as we all wait by our radios and windows to find out if we're next on the evacuation list.
Reports so far suggest no buildings have been affected yet, though for some terrifying moments from our vantage point it seemed that one of the towers of Disa Park was ablaze.
We're going back out now to see what we can see as my flat has no clear line-of-sight.
To all those who have been evacuated our wishes are with you. We're holding our breath for the dawn and for the choppers to start flying.
Update................... 5:05amJust went out again and it seems to be a lot better than it was. Though the wind is still sporadically blowing quite hard the bulk of blaze seems to have gone out.
If the conditions remain calm then hopefully the choppers will have it all out once the sun comes up.
Till then, goodnight.
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