Fires burn out of control for 2nd day in South African capital

April 19 (UPI) -- Authorities in South Africa said they have arrested a man who may be responsible for multiple fires that continue to burn Monday.

The initial blaze began on Sunday at a library in Cape Town, which also forced evacuations in nearby Table Top Mountain National Park. Homes in the area were damaged by the fire and flames have also spread to Vredehoekon the slopes of Table Mountain.

City officials said a man in his 30s was arrested in the Devil's Peak area. Park authorities said a local vagrant may have started the fire, as well as subsequent fires.

"There is a lot of speculation currently about additional fires that were started, and whether the original fire was an act of arson," Cape Town security official J.P. Smith said, according to South Africa's News 24.

"[The suspect] was spotted by a resident, who tracked him down with the help of his sons and the family's dog."

The fires are not yet under control.

Cape Town Mayor Dan Plato tweeted that one firefighter was hospitalized with burn injuries and that property damage included private homes, a restaurant and historical structures like the Mostert's Hill windmill.

The fire gutted the historic Reading Room of the University of Cape Town's Jagger Library and forced students to evacuate.

"The fire is hard to reach in places and we hope that aerial firefighting support can be deployed to douse the flames before it reaches the urban edge," the City of Cape Town's Twitter account said on Monday.