CapeNature notes record fires ahead of traditional high-risk period

Conservation agency CapeNature has revealed that the 2025 to 2026 summer fire season has rewritten the record books due to an unprecedented surge in fires, months before the traditional high‑risk period.

Between September and the end of November last year, firefighters responded to 43 blazes in the Western Cape.

CapeNature spokesperson Luke Folb said this is more than triple the historical average for those months.

Folb added that persistent hot, dry and windy conditions turned manageable fires into large, multi‑day disasters.

CapeNature has warned the public to be cautious, as forecasts show above‑normal temperatures and below‑normal rainfall into early winter, extending the risk of fires.

"We are well prepared, but we need the public to remain vigilant and mindful. Mindfulness is important. Small braais or cooking fires, even throwing out lit cigarettes, can be ignition sources for very large fires. One spark in these dry and windy conditions is all it takes to start another catastrophic blaze."

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