Over the weekend, Working on Fire – Kishugu Joint Venture confronted a significant challenge, deploying 291 firefighters, 29 vehicles, and 24 aerial resources to tackle and contain 11 wildfires across the Western Cape. Incidents were reported in various locations, including Cape Town, Hermanus, Grabouw, Malmesbury, Kluitjieskraal, Paarl, and Oudtshoorn.
This response followed days after firefighters battled a vegetation fire in Simon’s Town. Working on Fire, in collaboration with partners such as Table Mountain National Parks, Overberg District Municipality, Provincial Disaster Management, Fire Protection Associations, Garden Route District Municipality, City of Cape Town, and Cape Nature, swiftly and effectively prevented the further spread of fires, safeguarding communities and ecosystems.
Antoniette Jini, General Manager of Working on Fire, affirmed their high alert status and readiness to promptly respond to any assistance requests, with a continued focus on community and environmental safety. Simultaneously, the City of Cape Town faced additional challenges, responding to a fire near the Steenbras dam. Aerial firefighting and ground crews worked tirelessly to contain the blaze, which raised suspicions of arson in subsequent incidents in Slangkop and Pinehaven.
Alderman JP Smith, in a separate statement, expressed concern over potential damages to critical infrastructure, including the water supply network. The City emphasizes that damage to such vital infrastructure carries severe penalties, and a reward is offered for information leading to the arrest of individuals responsible for threatening water treatment facilities.
SANParks has witnessed an unprecedented number of fires, prompting an investigation into potential arson by Enviro Wildfire Services. The public is urged to report any suspicious activity and fire incidents to authorities for a swift and effective emergency response.