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Wrathful fire on foothills of Cape Town's Table Mountain

Princess Tarfa

Strong winds spread flames seen close to the city.

Residents watch as fire engulfs Table Mountain's slopes. (Reuters)

At least one firefighter has been severely injured as emergency crews battle to put out a blazing fire that broke out Sunday in the foothills of Cape Town's iconic Table Mountain, according to the reports by the city officials.

A restaurant and an age old statue of British colonial icon Cecil Rhodes have already been severely damaged by the blazing fire. As wind gusts fanned the already blazing inferno, hundreds of University of Cape Town students were forced to flee from their dorms on foot along the main road as their library scorched.

Cape Town's mayor, Dan Plato, revealed that at least one firefighter had been treated in a hospital for burn injuries. According to a city statement, the fire damaged many private homes as well as some historical buildings such as the Mostert's Hill windmill.

Table Mountain National Park, which covers most of the city's undeveloped area, has requested the hikers to evacuate the place. It has also requested the motorcyclists to remove vehicles parked near the area on various social networking sites.

Houses are engulfed in smoke and clouds which are whipped up by strong winds. The first alert as soon as the fire broke out was issued immediately before 9:00 a.m. (07:00 GMT), according to the reports city officials. Helicopters have already joined the battle of firefighting by putting water on the raging fire.

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