Twelve Apostles Fire

Lyall Pringle, NSRI Hout Bay station commander, said:

At 19h49, Thursday, 12th October, NSRI Hout Bay were alerted by Titswalo Atlantic Lodge in Hout Bay confirming that Tintswalo Atlantic Lodge had been requested to help with the evacuation of guests and staff from the Twelve Apostles Hotel, between Llandudno and Camps Bay, that was threatened by the fire on the slopes of the Twelve Apostles.

NSRI Hout Bay dispatched our sea rescue vehicle to investigate and transport coaches from Tintswalo Atlantic Lodge were being used to evacuate guests and staff from the Twelve Apostles Hotel.

NSRI Bakoven, NSRI Table Bay and NSRI Kommetjie were placed on alert with rescue vehicles and NSRI crews private vehicles to ferry guests and staff if necessary.

Most of the guests of the Twelve Apostles Hotel were relocated to other hotels in the area and the remaining 11 guests and most of the staff (99 staff members) of the hotel were brought to the NSRI sea rescue base in Hout Bay where staff were ferried home from the NSRI base and the guests were relocated to other hotels from the NSRI base.

NSRI were then informed that embers were falling in the vicinity of the Twelve Apostles Hotel and NSRI kommetjie dispatched their sea rescue vehicle towing their fire pump (sponsored by Enviro Wildfire Services) to the Twelve Apostles Hotel and the fire pump was set up, together with the hotels own fire extinguishers, to assist to dampen down the area and to remain on alert if the fire face reached the hotel.

Cape Town Fire and Rescue Services and VWS (Volunteer Wildfire Services), who were actively engaged at the face of the fire, were made aware that NSRI were assisting with this task of protection at the Twelve Apostles Hotel.

NSRI crew remained on-site at the hotel until 06h00, Friday morning.

After a shift in wind direction NSRI’s assistance was no longer required and NSRI returned to base.

The fire pump from NSRI Kommetjie remains on-site at the Twelve Apostles Hotel in case it may be needed to assist the fire teams and NSRI remain on alert to assist if necessary.