A small Wilderness Search And Rescue (WSAR) team responded to Constantia Neck, after a trail runner reported that he was stranded on top of Junction Peak surrounded by fire on Sunday Morning.
According to runner James Norbury, he had intended to race from the coffee box at the base of Platteklip Gorge, starting at 08h00, across the back table to the coffee box at
Constantia Neck and was not aware of the fire that had started above Kirstenbosch late on Saturday.
“I was running down Smuts Track from MacClears Beacon and turned right onto the Aquaduct Trail towards the Hely-Hutchinson Reservoir.
“I was focused on running the technical trail quickly and hardly noticed the mist as I descended the trail.
“It was only when I smelled the smoke and felt the heat, that I realised that I’d run into a fire.”
“I immediately turned back and followed the trail away from the fire, but when I got back to the Smuts Track junction I was surrounded by…
