Image related to website content

Battling the Blazes: Record-Setting Summer Fire Season

6 Mar 2024

The Summer fire season, which officially started on 01 December 2023, started off with a few small fires between December and the first three weeks of January. 

On 23 January 2024, there was an ignition at Kluitjieskraal in the Wolseley area. Over the next three weeks, there were multiple ignitions throughout the Western Cape with the concentration of conflagrations being the Boland and Whale Coast.

On 31 January 2024, a record eight fires were burning on CapeNature land throughout the Western Cape. The first day where no fires were reported was on 7 February 2024 marking the end of a grueling 15 days of firefighting by CapeNature staff. 

In total, 52 501ha burnt of which 15 587ha were on the CapeNature estate. 240 CapeNature firefighters and 220 Working on Fire personnel attended to the fires. 

Once again, our partners such as Working on Fire, Provincial Disaster Management, local and district municipalities, Fire Protection Associations and Volunteer Wildfire Services supported our efforts with passion, urgency and enthusiasm and we are grateful for their ongoing support.

The Summer fire season has not concluded as yet, and we wish all strength to our fire fighters and incident management teams on the ground. 

Make sure you are fire safe this fire season.

Share:

Related News

Firefighter1
2 May 2024
CapeNature honours its firefighters ahead of International Firefighters' Day

On 30 April 2024, CapeNature hosted a firefighters appreciation event at Assegaaibosch Nature Reserve to honour the brave men and women who were on the frontlines during the Western Cape’s fire season.

Copy of Fire DCM 0372 Justin Sullivan
5 Oct 2021
CapeNature urges the public to practice fire safety this fire season

CapeNature responded to 76 fires resulting in 31 198.7 hectares of natural and other veld burnt during the 2020/21 fire season. As we enter the 2021/22 fire season, CapeNature appeals to the public to help prevent fires and report smoke or fire.

Jonkershoek Fire picture 0321
10 Mar 2021 by CapeNature
Devastating wildfire sees Jonkershoek, Assegaaibosch and Assegaaiboschkloof Nature Reserves closed for public access until further notice.
Fire helicopter DCM 2031 Justin Sullivan
1 Dec 2020 by CapeNature
Fire awareness - BE THE HERO THIS SUMMER

Reporting a fire quickly can mean the difference between minor damage and total devastation. Fires can be reported by dialling 112 from a cell phone or 10177 from a landline.