Table Mountain fire expected to spread - Megan Taplin, Table Mountain National Park Manager

On Sunday, 23 February, about 85 firefighters and aerial resources were deployed to combat a blazing fire on Table Mountain, above Newlands, reports Taplin.

Taplin explains the fire has since flared up and is spreading toward Devil’s Peak.

"The fire is still burning, and currently, we're focusing on the right flank of the fire which is spreading towards the Devil's Peak area," she adds.

"We had about 85 firefighters on the line yesterday and we had teams overnight just monitoring and trying to contain the fire as best they could... fresh teams walked in at about 6am this morning and two helicopters that have been airborne since first light," adds Taplin.

"Wind conditions are picking up and there was a warning of wind today so we want to try and contain that as much as we can," predicts Taplin.

"We do expect that the fire will spread on the right flank of the mountain which is why we're focusing on that this morning," Taplin concludes.

Hiking trails on Table Mountain, Newlands and surrounding areas are currently closed to the public.