Fire Season explained

In the Western Cape, summer is fire season (mostly January to March, though major fires can begin as early as November). This past decade has been hot and dry, and relief efforts have been strained by financial and constitutional restraints, as well as human negligence and overpopulation. But while many press releases have blamed climate change, fire season is as old as human settlement in the Cape, and comes with every season.

Natural patterns, human changes

It seems Simon Pooley is the main academic expert on the history of Cape fires, so I will condense his writing on this briefly, though you can read it in some more detail here and here. In precolonial times, fynbos vegetation was adapted to periodic fires essential for their reproduction and regeneration, but natural ignitions were rare, mainly from lightning strikes. Without significant human influence, fire return intervals were long, usually decades (10-30 years was the main natural rhythm), and sometimes a century in some areas, allowing mature vegetation to accumulate and resulting in infrequent but wildly intense burns when they occurred, tearing through the Cape all the way into Mozambique.

Archaeological evidence shows burning by indigenous Khoi herders for pasture, dating back at least 2000 years, significantly shaped the environment. They deliberately set fires to manage seasonal grazing, promoting palatable plants for their livestock. This accelerated the spread of renosterbos due to overgrazing and repeated burning, introducing more frequent, controlled fires compared to a purely natural pattern.

During early colonial times, fires were used for land clearing, agriculture, and grazing continuation – the same goals as the Khoi, but much more extensive (and intensive). Initial European impacts involved wood cutting and farming but major invasive species did not appear for the first couple of centuries, not until the British arrived to introduce bluegums, black wattles and Port-Jacksons. Fire regimes remained somewhat similar to late precolonial patterns, with human causes dominant (neglected campfires and agricultural burning). Property protection began prompting occasional suppression efforts, but fires were frequent, mostly low- to moderate-intensity, and crucial for maintaining fynbos diversity.

British rule profoundly changed things, with the introduction of invasive alien plants, mainly from Australia, though also pines from Europe. These fast-growing, fire-adapted species, planted for their timber and resins, and for driftsand stabilization and windbreaks, formed dense stands that eliminated native fynbos in their shadows, sucked up groundwater and increased fuel loads by up to eight times higher. These tar-rich woods burn with greater intensity than indigenous vegetation, and exploit post-fire conditions by spreading their serotinous seeds (released by heat) and fire-stimulated germination, meaning they gained rapid dominance after major fires, taking over massive areas and creating invasive monocultures where little to nothing can grow in their shade.

This massively increased fire risk and frequency, especially in the 20th century. Hotter fires cause soil hydrophobicity (bare earth can’t absorb rain), leading to erosion, runoff, and biodiversity loss. Historical events like the 1935 and 2000 Table Mountain fires were amplified by these aliens, prompting the first proper public outcry and control efforts (the 1945 Wicht Report, and the 1995 Working for Water program were both influential). However, clearance operations sometimes left stacked fuel, as the wood was seldom cleared in good time, exacerbating the blazes.

tRecent efforts have become more sophisticated, blending biodiversity restoration, water security, and fire risk reduction. Programs like Working for Water (WfW) and partnerships. From 2010–2022, have spent R976m on invasive alien management in the Cape’s protected areas, targeting mainly Acacia species (black wattle, Port Jackson), with mixed success. It has been effective in Table Mountain National Park, and the rare silvertrees have returned in numbers, but protections are declining in provincial reserves due to funding gaps.

It has also been recognised that invasive species have a nasty impact on water supply too – soaking up to 30% of our water supply in many areas. The Greater Cape Town Water Fund has cleared 46,000 hectares of alien plants since 2023, recovering billions of liters of water annually. CapeNature’s new “Helihack” project has removed 16,276 invasive pines over 2,500 hectares in Boosmansbos Wilderness in the last year, restoring water catchments and biodiversity. Other efforts, like the volunteer-based Sugarbird Project has hand-pulled millions of germinated IAP seedlings across 3,300 hectares to aid fynbos recovery.

Controlled burning remains a key strategy, with SANParks conducting prescribed burns to reduce fuel loads and promote regeneration. However, the 2025 wildfires brougt up some challenges: the urban fringe, land invasions, legislative permit hurdles, and invasive alien-fueled burn intensity. Expanded ecological burning and integrated alien clearance are needed to mitigate risks.

But these maintenance and preparation practices are somewhat unsexy, and lack the drama of emergency response. Authorities have tended to act shocked at wildfires every year, as if climate change has produced something new. But Fire season is as old as the hills, and if we are going to live here, we have to manage it responsibly, and not put too much emphasis on it as an emergency response issue.

Since figures have been gathered, 97% of fires have been human in cause of origin. Local governments have faced significant general challenges in wildfire management this season, driven by extreme weather conditions including high temperatures, a slight drought (not as severe as the 6-year drought that led to Day Zero preparations, but significant nonetheless), and strong winds that rapidly spread fires and cause flare-ups.

The worst wildfire season in the Western Cape in the present national dispensation was the 2015 season. This was the height of a record six-year drought, the worst in 400 years, which saw over 133 000 hectares burned province-wide, marking one of the highest recorded totals in recent decades. 6,900 hectares were burned on the Cape Peninsula alone, with winds over 100 km/h, extreme heat, and dry conditions, on top of dense and previously unburnt vegetation built up over previous years finally catching light en masse. It resulted in 1 fatality, 56 injuries, evacuations of hundreds, including 500 people in some reports. It is generally regarded as a benchmark for severity, with the 2023/24 season (around 100,000ha burnt), described as the most active since 2015.

Fire Response

This year, as usual, fires have broken out in several inaccessible mountainous areas that limit ground access and make costly aerial interventions necessary. The human factor is as prevalent as ever, with up to 97% of fires attributed to negligence or intentional acts, though for whatever reason, suspected arson figures are not generally published, though lest paranoia take hold of you, it is worth bearing in mind that even in the worst years, negligence is generally the biggest cause. Projections suggest fire season will extend beyond March due to above-average heat.

Coordination between local and provincial bodies is characterized by a hierarchical yet collaborative structure: the Provincial Disaster Management Centre (PDMC) leads strategic oversight, sanctioning aerial missions (38 so far at R15 million) and providing funding, equipment, and integrated strategies like the 2024 Integrated Fire Management Strategy to enhance risk assessments and community involvement. Last fire season, the budget was overtaken by events, and Alan Winde had to appeal to the National department for an extended

Theoretically, district municipalities (Overberg, Winelands, Garden Route) focus on broader, specialized, and coordinating roles and own the equipment, while local municipalities handle localized responses where they have established services (constitutionally speaking, this is optional). Metropolitan municipalities like Cape Town and Johannesburg handle both aspects. The provincial government supports all levels with co-ordination, funding, training, and oversight.

But practically speaking, many neighbouring district municipalities have to borrow equipment form Cape Town due to shortages. Local and District municipalities often partner with quasi-nongovernmental organisations (QuaNGOs) like SANParks (linked to National) and CapeNature (linked to the WC), but face capacity constraints, funding delays, and administrative burdens that can hinder timely action. Provincial support bolsters these efforts through mutual aid agreements. The National government has been asked on multiple occasions to increase the disaster management budget in unusually intense fire seasons, as the provinces cannot raise much more than a couple of percentage points of their own budget – the Western Cape for instance, usually only gets around 3% of its budget from its own sources (gambling licenses and provincial road traffic tickets) due to constitutional constraints, and must rely on the National Treasury to provide the other 97% at their discretion, under the Division of Revenue Act, which bases its calculation on a redistributive basis according to population size and some other lesser factors

Our province has over 2,300 firefighters, but challenges persist in building trust, scaling proactive measures, and addressing inequalities in access to resources, in part due to the disjointed and complex nature of financial, equipment and personnel sharing, often relying on ad-hoc assistance from local communities. There have been multiple calls for stronger intergovernmental relations and community engagement to improve overall resilience, but solutions are hampered by the extremely rigid provisions of the Constitution, which regulates the limits of provincial and local powers, even down to petty elements such as dog catching.

Major contributors from the civic sector include AfriForum and Gift of the Givers, the latter of which is regarded as particularly effective due to their unusually centralised organisational structure and the talent of the organisation’s leader Imtiaz Sooliman. While this sort of organisational structure tends to be more reliant on leadership than procedure, making it vulnerable if Sooliman were ever to step down, it does enable much more rapid marshalling of resources across different areas.

This year

This year looks to be a bad one: around 90 000ha have burned across the Western Cape since November 2025, with 45 structures destroyed, though thankfully no fatalities or severe injuries have been incurred so far. The Province has spent R15 million so far on 38 aerial missions, double last year’s at this point. Challenges to relief efforts are the same as ever – hot, dry, windy conditions, inaccessible terrains requiring costly aerial support, and resource strain from multiple simultaneous fires, evacuations, power outages, and road closures (the N2, or example). I have compiled a list of the fires so far this past few weeks, and while it isn’t exhaustive, it should give you a fairly decent overview of what’s been happening.

Franschhoek/Langrug – starting on Wednesday and still active, mainly in the mountains. Cause unknown. Out of control at times, pushed by winds towards town, but threats to estates and the main town have been mostly contained. CapeNature and privately contracted ground teams have been suppressing fire in high terrain.

Wemmershoek into Paarl – Franschhoek fire has spread into Drakenstein, active high in the mountains, burning slowly downhill behind Wemmershoek Dam towards Paarl. Active firefighting and mopping-up continue. A fire at Berg River Dam jumped the R45 and is burning above St Croix Estates; fresh teams are deploying firebreaks today, with monitoring ongoing.Fires at Stormsvlei, JC Le Roux (Stellenbosch), R46 (Tulbagh), and Boesmansrivier (McGregor) have all been contained, with monitoring and mopping-up in progress. Strong winds and temperatures of 30–40°C persist. Heavy smoke and falling ash over Paarl and Wellington, enough to cause breathing hazards for the sensitive.

Cederberg Complex – started December 22 in Cederberg Wilderness. Cause unknown. Large sections contained but active lines persisted into the new year in inaccessible terrain. Multi-agency firefighting was necessary with ground and aerial resources. Over 34,000 hectares burned; one wooden cottage and caravan destroyed; no homes or lives lost.

Signal Hill – started around January 8 (with possible earlier incident January 4), on slopes above Fresnaye/Sea Point, Cape Town. Cause unknown. Extinguished quickly, but hotspots are being monitored; trails reopened by January 9. Rapid response with helicopters water-bombing and ground crews. Vegetation was burned, but no structures or injuries reported.

Mossel Bay area – started January 6, across Mossel Bay including Aalwyndal, Island View, and Hartenbos areas, Garden Route. Cause unknown. Contained by January 9, with N2 reopened. Extensive aerial and ground firefighting by Garden Route District Municipality. At least 10 homes destroyed, some vehicles lost, and ~1,900 hectares burned; with some temporary road closures and evacuations.

Keurbooms-Soetkraal – started January 8, by lightning in remote Tsitsikamma Section, Garden Route National Park. Caused by lightning strike. Seems to be still active despite the containment strategy. SANParks led with aerial and ground support from the municipalities, MTO Forestry, and private teams. ~10,000 hectares burned and some minor infrastructure damage; no injuries.

Pearly Beach – started January 4 in the Duinefontein area in Overstrand. Cause unknown, but pushed by strong winds. Ongoing with high alert. Aerial bombing with Oryx helicopters is being used with ground crews under multi-municipal efforts. Threats to structures and a local resort have yet to result in massive damages, but some farming losses (flower farmers) as well as a dense regional smoke haze.

Stanford – active from early January in Stanford, Thembelihle and Die Kop in Overberg. Cause is unknown. Ongoing, spreading with wind threats to homes and wineries. 120 people have been evacuated. There was helicopter waterbombing, road closures (R43), and extensive provincial support. Damages include significant wildlife losses, and threats to informal settlements and farms.

Greyton – started around January 7, causes unknown. It initially appeared contained,  but has since jumped containment, burning towards the mountains on the western flank. Overberg District Municipality ground teams are monitoring the crests, but damages are mostly limited to vegetation and a smoke haze.

Bothmaskop – ongoing as of yesterday on peaks from Bothmaskop to Jonkershoek. Cause unknown. Mostly active in inaccessible high terrain. Cape Winelands District Municipality monitoring and dousing lines. Extensive mountain vegetation damage.

Grabouw – active near N2/forestry plantations. Cause unknown. Containment efforts ongoing by ground teams battling near the highway. Thick smoke has reduced visibility on Sir Lowry’s Pass, with potential threats to pine plantations.

Worcester – active near De Wet Cellar, towards De Doorns. Cause unknown. Running in a directional spread with the winds. Provincial government is monitoring due to risks. Current  damages include vegetation.