- Deer Park has reopened to the public following a fire on Table Mountain in April.
- More than 650 hectares of land were damaged in the blaze.
- Areas around Rhodes Memorial remain closed.
Deer Park has reopened to the public about four months after it became caught in a devastating blaze that swept across Table Mountain.
The park was one of the areas that was worst affected by the blaze. It has been closed for repairs and rehabilitation work since the fire broke out on 18 April in the Rhodes Memorial area.
Fanned by strong winds, the blaze quickly spread across the mountain, engulfing the Rhodes Memorial Restaurant and Tea Garden and spreading to the University of Cape Town, where several historical buildings were destroyed.
It was contained after three days of firefighting. More than 650 hectares of land were destroyed.
An investigation into the fire has since established that the blaze was started intentionally.
"The fuel reduction, wood collection and road maintenance will continue for the next two months. This will be done while the area is open to the public, and we kindly request visitors to exercise caution during this time," said Frans van Rooyen, Table Mountain National Park (TMNP) park manager.
A contractor was appointed to fell and remove dangerous trees, he added.
"To date, 118 dead and dangerous trees were felled, and they produced a total of 472 logs," he said.
"This process has allowed us to invite public members to collect wood which has helped us with the restoration process. The wood permit was issued to reduce fuel load, and other wood was delivered to Redhill and Imizamo Yethu settlement areas."
The area around Rhodes Memorial will remain closed.
"Teams have been hard at work implementing rehabilitation plans to allow for the reopening of the two areas that are still closed off to the public, and we kindly request users and visitors to these areas to continue exercising patience and allow the restoration work to continue without any obstructions," Van Rooyen said.
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