Rise in Cape Town fires has emergency services struggling
Firefighters battled a blaze near Signal Hill late on Sunday, January 19. The fire was extinguished in the early hours with no damage or injuries reported.
Image: Firdous Moerat
Fire incidents across Cape Town have surged over the past eight weeks, with new figures showing sharp year-on-year increases in vegetation and residential blazes as emergency services battle mounting pressure during peak fire season.
This follows a fire - which was extinguished - on the slopes of Signal Hill, above the Bo-Kaap, on Sunday night
Statistics from the City’s Fire and Rescue Service reveal that incidents across key fire categories rose by between five percent and 16 percent compared with the same period last year. \
Total callouts — including fires, rescues and related emergencies — climbed from 5 309 between December 2024 and 15 January 2025 to 5 608 during the same period in 2025–26.
Vegetation fires increased from 3 213 to 3 492, while informal residential fires rose from 315 to 332. The most significant jump was recorded in formal residential fires, which increased by just over 16 percent, from 210 to 244 incidents.
JP Smith, Mayco Member for Safety and Security, said extreme weather conditions continue to fuel the rise in fires.
He said: “The higher temperatures over the period in review are a factor, but over the past few summers, the south-easter has also extended its stay, which not only fans flames where fires do occur, but also bedevils firefighting efforts.”
The impact of the fires has extended well beyond the initial incidents. Between October 2025 and January 9, 2026, the City’s Disaster Risk Management Centre coordinated relief for 6 999 people affected by fires across the metro.