A pilot aboard a fire-fighting helicopter has died during emergency efforts to extinguish wildfires in South Africa’s renowned Cape Point nature reserve, officials say.

The water-bombing pilot, Hendrik “Bees” Marais, died when his helicopter crashed while battling blazes raging through Cape Town’s scenic southern peninsula on Sunday, said South Africa’s Working on Fire (WoF) spokesman, Evelyn Holtzhausen.

He died “when his Huey was in a forced landing while on wildfire suppression duty in the Cape of Good Hope section of Table Mountain National Park,” Holtzhausen said, adding that civil aviation authorities have opened an investigation to determine the cause of the crash.

Officials have dispatched hundreds of firefighters to combat the flames that have been ripping through South Africa’s southern region near the city of Cape Town.

Strong winds and high temperatures have exacerbated the wildfires, which have already destroyed more than 7,000 acres of land, a luxury hotel and more than a dozen homes across affluent villages dotted along the coast of the peninsula.

The fires are also threatening Cape Point nature reserve, famous for its unique vegetation known as fynbos.

The southern peninsula is known for its spectacular scenery and is a favorite international tourist destination.

GMA/HJL/SS