Wildfire season
During the hot, dry and windy summer season, wildfires are more prevalent. Wildfires (also referred to as veld fires) are bush fires both within and outside urban areas that have the potential to spread out of control.
Early fire warnings remain critical to controlling fires quickly. When a fire does break out, getting control over it as quickly as possible is vital. Report any signs of fire, regardless of how insignificant it may appear, to your local fire service.
5 Main causes of wildfires are:
- Intentional: Arson is a malicious and criminal act of deliberately starting fires.
- Smoking: Discarded cigarette butts can also cause wildfires, either from workers working in the fields or bush, passing pedestrians or motorists.
- Cooking fires: Open fires for cooking and discarded hot ashes can cause wildfires, particularly in nature conservation areas or on farms.
- Burning of debris: Permitted and unpermitted burning of debris, if badly managed or if weather conditions change suddenly, can cause fires.
- Lightning: Lightning is a cause of both wildfires and structural fires.
Wildfires can spread rapidly under the following conditions:
- Faster uphill than downhill.
- With the wind, rather than against the wind.
- Faster where there is dry and dead plant material.
- Faster with small sources of fuel.
- Faster where the vegetation canopy is intertwined.
Although wildfires can have devastating effects on people’s lives, property and animals, they’re also important for local ecosystems. For example, the heat generated by fires, help certain types of fynbos plant seeds to germinate. So, having a better understanding of wildfires can help you to be better prepared.
Fire danger rating
The Fire Danger Rating is determined by using a combination of the temperature, wind direction and speed; rainfall and humidity - which can be calculated manually or by using technology. The Fire Danger Rating Table is colour-coded, and this national system classifies the level of fire danger in 5 categories:
- Insignificant (blue). The fire danger is so low that no precautions are needed.
- Low (green). Fires, including prescribed burns, may be allowed in the open air on the condition that persons making fires take reasonable precautions against fires spreading.
- Moderate (yellow). No fires are allowed in the open air, except those that are authorised by the Chief Fire Officer of the local fire service, and those in designated fireplaces. Authorised fires may include prescribed burns.
- High (orange). No fires are allowed under any circumstances in the open air.
- Extreme (red). No fires are allowed under any circumstances in the open air, and special emergency fire preparedness measures are necessary
Find out how you can get involved to help fight wildfires in the Western Cape.
Reporting fires
When reporting fires, please contact your Local District Municipality:
- City of Cape Town: 107 from a landline or 021 480 7700 from any phone
- Overberg: 028 425 1690
- West Coast: 022 433 8700
- Eden: 044 805 5071
- Central Karoo: 023 414 2603
- Cape Winelands: 021 887 4446
If you live in Cape Town, you can also contact the nearest City of Cape Town’s Fire Stations to report fire dangers.
Be sure to save the appropriate number on your cell phone and to teach it to your children.
Useful information
The Disaster Risk Management at the City of Cape Town has made the following information available to the public to help ensure their safety:
The Working on Fire programme (WoF), funded by the South African Government, is one of South Africa's most successful poverty alleviation, job creation and community upliftment initiatives.
Please visit their website for more information or follow WoF on Twitter for daily updates.
Our Fire Protection Associations (FPAs) across the province provide a huge amount of useful real-time information on wildfires in each area. Visit the relevant website according to the region you live in and stay informed this summer: