Mayor draws heat as fire rages

As the political row about funding intensifies, firemen have slammed as "cheap talk" a denial by Cape Town Mayor Nomaindia Mfeketo of any knowledge of shortages in the fire services. Full Story

Cape firefighters on red alert as fires rage: Table Mountain, the Peninsula and Southern Cape are on red alert as firefighters battle 11 more blazes and hot, dry and windy weather has been forecast until the weekend.

On Wednesday temperatures are expected to reach a maximum of 34°C in Cape Town, a sizzling 38°C in Worcester and Paarl and 36°C in Oudtshoorn.On Thursday Cape Town is expected to swelter with 31°C, Paarl and Worcester a scorching 38°C and Oudtshoorn 40°C.

Firefighter collapses of smoke inhalation Firefighters had another exhausting day as they battled blazes on several fronts in scorching hot and windy conditions across the Peninsula.

On Tuesday Oranjezicht and Tamboerskloof residents again faced the prospect of losing their homes, days after a huge fire on the slopes of Table Mountain came perilously close to doing so.

Residents in Lusaka informal settlement near Nyanga were less fortunate after a shack fire destroyed four homes. Veld fires also raged in Rondevlei, Slangkop, Ocean View and Red Hill.

Nomawethu Dayimani's home, which she shares with her five children, was destroyed.Dayimani said: "This is so bad I can't believe this is happening again. When they called me at work to tell me, I didn't believe it but now I can see the damage." This is the second time she has had to start from scratch - her home also burnt down about two years ago.