The executive director of UCT Libraries, Ujala Satgoor, said volunteers were still needed to help salvage and remove works in the Jagger Library in the wake of the recent fire that swept across Table Mountain.
The University of Cape Town’s Jagger Reading Room was left in ruins after a wildfire destroyed the facility. (Photo: Gallo Images / Die Burger / Jaco Marais)
“Volunteers are needed to help move vulnerable materials to a safer location. They can use this link to register and get more information in terms of dates that are available for shifts.
A firefighter walks through the destroyed nearly 200-year-old Jagger Reading Room. (Photo: EPA-EFE / Nic Bothma)
Additional reporting by Victoria O’Regan
Efforts to contain the out-of-control wildfire that erupted on Table Mountain on Sunday morning at around 8.45 continued throughout the night.
The unforgiving inferno – suspected by the Table Mountain National Park to have been ignited by an unattended vagrant fire – burnt down a restaurant at Rhodes Memorial and damaged multiple buildings at the University of Cape Town (UCT) campus, including the library.
Efforts continue to contain a vegetation fire in the mountain above UCT.
The City of Cape Town is engaging in active firefighting efforts along with TMNP and the Volunteer Wildfire Service.
At this stage, UCT has initiated an evacuation of student residences. #CTNewspic.twitter.com/3qtF6CqcXS