Divine intervention.........and not the biblical variety.

Every summer in the Cape we suffer some fairly ferocious fires. As the temperatures rise so does the strength of the wind known locally as the 'Cape Doctor'. From about November through to March the prevailing southeaster howls through the mountains fanning the flames from the slightest spark.

© Shutterstock/Aqua Images - Smoke engulfs the mountains above Simon's Town, South Africa.

And although fire is an essential part in the life-cycle for the thousands of fynbos species that make up the incredible Cape Floral Kingdom, the ravaging flames are welcomed less by human inhabitants

For each and every outbreak an army of professionals and volunteers are dispatched to extinguish the blaze and help protect peoples homes.

But with each fire consuming acre upon acre of vegetation, there are limited resources and those who find themselves in the path of the flames are often at the mercy of the elements. Hoping the wind dies or shifts in a different direction to save their properties.

On Tuesday afternoon, fanned by winds of up to 60 miles per hour, the fire that started on the property of the South African National Defence force was quickly of control.

© Shutterstock/Aqua Images - Fire burning through mountain, Cape Town, South Africa.

Within hours it had spread up the mountain and was charging towards the informal settlement at Red Hill. Densely populated by some of the poorest inhabitants of this wealthy peninsula, fires are known to spread through these makeshift homes with terrifying speed.

Although the order was given to evacuate, the men and women on the ground fought through the night to save the settlement.

With no respite from the wind, which makes it almost impossible for the choppers to fly, the firefighters battled to contain the blaze and it raged on for days. The flames continued to march across the mountain towards Cape Point National Park and a number of small farms. By Thursday it was perilously close to the Good Hope Nursery.

The team of firefighters fought through the night to save the property and by day break the news arrived that the family home and business was safe. Sadly, word from higher up on the hill was that the fire had made it to a small wooden cabin on the property and it was feared lost.

It wasn't until the first morning light that the damage could be assessed.

Unbelievably, although the fire had ravaged the area, the wooden cabin was still standing........

.......saved by the surrounding sour figs. A plant endemic to the Western Cape, it's known for it's healing properties and it delicious fruit. It had created a natural fire break around the cabin protecting it from the raging flames.

Although some see the sour fig as a nuisance, the Good Hope Nursery are locally famous for cultivating indigenous species and hosting amazing veld and sea foraging events encouraging people to sustainably harvest our naturl resources. 

It just goes to show, if you spend time looking after the environment around you, mother nature will do her bit to look after you in return.