Minister Anton Bredell thanks Kleinmond firefighters and firefighting entities
Anton Bredell, Western Cape Minister of Local Government, Environmental affairs and Development Planning today thanked all the firefighters and firefighting entities who worked together to put out the Kleinmond fire after 4 days of extensive and coordinated firefighting.
Bredell said: “I want to thank our brave firefighters and the many other officials across these entities for their cooperation and effort under difficult conditions. With wildfire management, coordinated support is essential for success.”
The effort involved the following firefighting entities:
- The Provincial Disaster Management Centre
- The City of Cape Town
- The Overberg District Municipality
- The Overstrand Municipality
- CapeNature
- Volunteer wildfire services
- The Department of Health (Emergency Medical Services)
- Working on Fire
- HARSA
- Overberg Wildfire Volunteers
- Greater Overberg Fire Protection Association
- Landowners
Bredell said in the end, more than 5400ha of fynbos and pine plantations were burned, one building was destroyed and preliminary agricultural damages include 10ha of commercial fynbos. Mopping up and monitoring will continue for the next few weeks as some areas of dense alien vegetation will continue to smolder.
“We are now investigating the cause of the fire and will do an estimate of the total damages and costs accrued during the operation. We were extremely fortunate this time that no human life was lost, which is always the number one priority during these operations,” Bredell said.
Bredell said the number one cause of wildfires are human actions, and as such, he urges people to be responsible and careful when dealing with fires. “It would be sad to know that all the resources, time, money and risk to personnel, as well as the destruction of thousands of hectares of land could have been prevented through different human behavior,” he said.
Bredell said the Province has several initiatives aimed at creating awareness and influencing behavior regarding fire safety, as prevention is always the cheaper option.
Proactive measures from the Western Cape Government includes a public awareness programme which CapeNature runs on several media platforms each year to inform the public on fire prevention and management, but also the importance of rapid reporting of fires.
The Provincial Disaster Management Centre runs several initiatives which focus on proactive training and coordination between the various fire services.
The Department of Local Government currently runs a social media campaign which informs people on residential and veld fires.
The public can call 112 toll-free on any cell phone and request a free connection to the local fire services to report any possible veld fires.
For more information, visit:
Related News
Boost for freshwater biodiversity as Wilderness Nature Reserve declared
A new nature reserve has been declared in the Western Cape, marking another significant milestone for the province’s environment. The Wilderness Nature Reserve, spanning over 643 hectares, has been declared a Provincial Nature Reserve in terms of the National Environmental Management: Protected Areas Act (Act 57 of 2003).
Rocherpan clean-up kicks off MPA Day 2025 celebrations
CapeNature kicked off Marine Protected Areas (MPA) Day celebrations with a community-driven beach clean-up at Rocherpan Nature Reserve on 31 July 2025. With school learners, volunteers, and the ever-popular Cubs Club mascot, Kai, lending a hand, all to highlight the link between marine and ocean protection and a public responsibility for conservation.
Winning hearts and minds through Marine Protected Areas
Our marine areas are teeming with life and a variety of protection measures are used to protect the ocean, such as precautionary fishery management principles (bag limits, size limits, catch limits and closed seasons) and shipping and pollution regulations. But at the heart of the protection efforts, are Marine Protected Areas (MPAs), which are demarcated areas to conserve this incredible biodiversity. MPAs can form critical refugia for some more resident species, which may become extinct without protection. All species and ecosystems form part of the overall functioning marine ecosystem and its ability to sustain direct and indirect use. The need to conserve MPAs is based on scientific evidence as well as frequent public engagement and participation in active protection of these areas.
New nature reserve secures rare Cape Vernal Pools habitat
The Franco Three Fountains Nature Reserve is declared a protected area, marking a significant conservation turning point as the first and only reserve dedicated to safeguarding the rare and ecologically important Cape Vernal Pools (a rare and endangered type of seasonal wetland ecosystem found within the Greater Cape Floristic Region). This unique vegetation type, previously unrepresented across our conservation areas, now finds its largest protected expanse within the boundaries of this reserve.
Biodiversity crime often overlooked but its impact is devastating
Biodiversity crime is a growing and often overlooked threat that directly harms South Africa’s unique ecosystems. From the illegal plant trade in the Western Cape to poaching and even picking wildflowers in protected areas without a permit, these acts all contribute to the degradation of biodiversity and the loss of crucial natural resources.
New EPWP intake launches careers in conservation and eco-tourism in the Western Cape
CapeNature has welcomed 475 new participants into a three-year Expanded Public Works Programme (EPWP) cycle, emphasising its commitment to skills development, conservation, and community upliftment across the province.
A small cohort of these participants, based at Kogelberg and Stony Point Nature Reserves, were officially welcomed at an event hosted at Kogelberg and led by Western Cape Provincial Minister of Local Government, Environmental Affairs and Development Planning, Anton Bredell.
How can I assist you today?
How can I assist you today?