SOUTH AFRICA—On February 16, in Vredehoek, Cape Town, a southeast wind came over Table Mountain and the adjacent mountain, Devil’s Peak, where my house is situated flush against the mountainside.

It happened in the middle of the night. I had already gone to bed, but when I woke up, my room, which faces the mountain, was as bright as daylight.

I went to the window and saw flames, two stories high, coming toward the houses bordering the nature reserve. The howling wind fanned the flames and drove them toward the houses.

The fire brigade was there in no time and requested that we all evacuate our houses immediately.

While I stood at my window, watching the flames coming closer and realizing they would set the trees in my yard aflame, I prayed that the wind would take the fire past my house—and it did.

The wind actually changed direction. I have never witnessed this on Table Mountain before.

Shortly afterward, the wind died down completely as if someone switched it off, and the fire could be contained by the firefighters, who worked until 7 a.m. the following morning to put out the fires.

I realized then that one should have a close relationship with God at all times if you are to call for help in an instant.