Hout Bay Valley Burns (Part 1)

Footage from the fire that burned through the wetlands in the Hout Bay Valley on Monday 6th February 2012.

The Cape had a hot few weeks leading up to the fire and the valley was dry. The wetlands are covered by a thick reed growth, the roots forming a layer sometimes several feet deep over the waterlogged earth. The stems and leaves of the reeds dry out during the summer and create perfect conditions for rapid burning.

This summer has also seen very little of the famous Cape Doctor - the blistering South Easter that whips through Cape Town blowing the smog out and dispersing it far and wide over the Atlantic Ocean. On this particular day there was very little wind which meant that the spread of the fire was relatively slow.

So far as I know there were no human casualties and minimal damage to property but the valley has been deeply scarred and the snakes, spiders, birds, insects and countless other creatures that make up this rich ecosystem have been dealt another blow by the unrelenting hand of man.

Thanks to all the valley wildlife, the trees and the plants, the mountains, the rivers and the ocean and all that are part of them - without you Hout Bay could not be the beautiful cradle of life that it is.

PEACE!