It was a busy weekend for the City of Cape Town’s Safety and Security Directorate after enforcement services made 177 arrests and issued more than 70 000 fines, while the City’s Fire and Rescue Service responded to 406 incidents between Friday, 21 January to Sunday 23 January.
According to a statement, 235 vegetation fires were recorded, including the blaze on Ou Kaapse Weg, in addition to 48 residential fires (22 formal residential and 26 informal residential). The City also responded to 43 motor vehicle accidents, 17 pedestrian vehicle accidents and 15 trauma responses.
The City’s Mayoral Committee Member for Safety and Security, Alderman JP Smith expressed how proud he is that staff took swift action to contain the fire on Ou Kaapse Weg this past weekend, working alongside other firefighting agencies.
“Cape Town has been experiencing some incredibly hot days in recent weeks, and we still have at least two more months of summer in the offing. While vegetation fires are more commonplace during the warmer months, the weather conditions of late provide an additional challenge,” Alderman Smith expressed.
Although the absence of wind made weather conditions more unbearable for Capetonians, it served as a blessing to firefighters, bearing in mind that wind is one of the biggest contributors to runaway fires.
During the past week, Law Enforcement officers made 79 arrests and issued 4 596 notices, while officers in the Metro Police Department made 67 arrests and issued 4 541 traffic and by-law fines.
Officers attached to the Traffic Service arrested 31 suspects (21 for driving under the influence of alcohol) and impounded 102 vehicles, 80 cell phones and issued 62 125 fines, the City notes.
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