A force of nearly 300 firefighters, supported by three helicopters, is currently engaged in combating a wildfire that erupted on Tuesday on a mountain overlooking Simon’s Town, situated approximately 40km south of Cape Town, South Africa.
The town, hosting the country’s primary and largest naval base, faces a critical situation as the fire, initiated on Tuesday morning, gained momentum overnight due to winds, as reported by local media.
![Intense Efforts to Contain Wildfire near South African Navy Base](http://newscentral.africa/wp-content/uploads/Intense-Efforts-to-Contain-Wildfire-near-South-African-Navy-Base-News-Central-TV.jpg)
Jermaine Carelse, the spokesperson for Cape Town’s emergency services, conveyed that the blaze caused damage to a solitary derelict building on the grounds of the South African Navy around 8 p.m. on Tuesday, according to statements quoted by the IOL news website.
As a precautionary measure, several homes in the Harbour Heights neighbourhood of the town were evacuated shortly after midnight on Wednesday. Carelse stated, “Only a single derelict building was damaged last night at around 8 p.m. on the grounds of the SA Navy.”
Regrettably, five firefighters sustained injuries during the firefighting operation, with two of them requiring hospitalisation.