CapeNature Urges the Public to Report Fire and Smoke on Sight
From April 2022 to March 2023 CapeNature responded to 70 wildfires which burned nearly 28 000 hectares compared to 87 fires burning almost 30 000 hectares in the same period in 2021 and 2022. CapeNature was able to contain 28.6% of fires where less than 10 hectares were burned and 64.2% where less than 100 hectares were burned. These results are only possible due to the collaborative effort of the Provincial Disaster Management, District and Local Municipalities, Fire Protection Associations, the Working on Fire Programme, Volunteer Wildfire Services and other fire contractors, neighbouring landowners, and the public.
Maintaining the low area burned is a significant accomplishment for CapeNature and its excellent partner relations where the collaborative effort of the Large-Scale Rapid Initial Attack Approach (LASRIA) is effective. Using this approach, all fires are responded to promptly and are fought with all available resources and personnel. The response is handled in such a way that the fire does not become an extended duration fire, lasting multiple days requiring many resources.
According to Dr Razeena Omar, CEO of CapeNature, “The public’s role in the success of the Large Scale Rapid Initial Attack should not be underestimated and cannot be emphasised enough. Fire agencies and their partners can only respond to a fire when it is brought to their attention. By alerting the relevant authorities quickly, we can respond to a fire before it becomes larger, increasing the chances of success, saving money, infrastructure and potentially even lives. LASRIA can mean the difference between minor damage and total devastation. I encourage people to save emergency numbers where it can be accessed easily. We appeal to the public to report smoke and fire the moment it is detected.”
CapeNature appeals to every person to do their part by practicing fire safety as we enter the warmer, drier months. Open fires, especially during hot, dry windy days, are a common cause of uncontrolled fires. This can be prevented by using only designated fireplaces and facilities, never leaving a burning or smouldering fire unattended, avoiding starting a fire when it is hot and dry and to not start fires next to roads and passes.
Of the fires responded to by CapeNature in the 2022/23 fire season, only 44,6% started on CapeNature protected areas with the remaining 65.4% ignited in mountain catchment areas and on private land. A total of 54,5% of fires were started by people, either through negligence or on purpose (braai and warming fires, fireworks, negligent and intentional ignitions), 10,4% started by mechanical means (machinery, heavy vehicles, cars, trains, welding, weapons, brush cutters, powerlines) and 1,3% through prescribed burning practices.
CapeNature manages more than 800 000 hectares of protected areas in the Western Cape of which most is part of the Cape Floral Region World Heritage Site. The Greater Cape Floristic Region is recognised as one of the most special places in the world for plants due to the diversity, density and number of endemic plant and animal species. These protected areas conserve the outstanding ecological, biological, and evolutionary processes associated with the distinctive vegetation, unique to region.
Fynbos plants, such as proteas, need fire to stimulate them to release their seeds which then germinate into new plants. However, many fynbos plants need more time to mature and set seed between fires and may be eliminated from these protected areas because of increased fire frequencies.
Fire can have a devastating effect on our natural resources and CapeNature appeals to the public to play their part in protecting our unique and special biodiversity. Dial 112 from a cell phone or 10177 from a landline to report smoke or fire.
Related News
Impact of Inclement Weather across CapeNature Reserves in May 2026
The last bout of extreme weather began in early May, when a cut-off low-pressure system hit the Garden Route. A week later, two powerful cold fronts swept through the rest of the Province, unleashing torrential rains and gale-force winds. The result has been widespread damage, with 85% of all reserves reporting at least some form of damage. The Cederberg region has emerged as the hardest hit.
Huis River aquatic invertebrate survey strengthens partnerships for freshwater ecosystem conservation
In the upper reaches of the Huis River near Barrydale, a recent aquatic macroinvertebrate survey is helping to inform conservation decisions for the Critically Endangered Tradouw redfin (Pseudobarbus burchelli), including the potential expansion of its range into upstream habitats in the river. The survey was conducted in partnership with
Ongoing efforts to safeguard the Critically Endangered Tradouw redfin through monitoring
The Critically Endangered Tradouw redfin (Pseudobarbus burchelli) is one of South Africa’s most range-restricted freshwater fishes. It is endemic to the Huis–Tradouw River catchment near Barrydale in the Western Cape. The species is listed as Critically Endangered due to its small and fragmented distribution, threats from invasive fish species, pollution, water abstraction, and habitat degradation.
Western Cape conservation efforts highlighted on World Biodiversity Day
Every year on 22 May, International Day for Biological Diversity (or World Biodiversity Day) is commemorated, and is meant to increase awareness about the many wonders of biodiversity, the numerous threats to it, and more importantly, what we can do to reduce or eliminate these threats. It marks 34 years since the Convention on Biological Diversity (CDB) came into force and reinforces the pledge
The Big Biodiversity Challenge Returns to Inspire Young Eco-Champions
The Western Cape Environmental Education Friends (WCEEF), together with members CapeNature, Western Cape Government, SANBI, Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment (DFFE), Nature Connect, SANParks, Working on Fire, the City of Cape Town and the Two Oceans Aquarium Foundation, announces the return of its flagship biodiversity competition for learners in grades 6 – 9.
CapeNature urges public not to unnecessarily remove chameleons following Garden Route storms
Members of the public are urged to assist wildlife responsibly following recent severe weather events in the Garden Route, and to avoid the unnecessary removal of chameleons from their natural habitat. Following severe storms experienced in the region over the last two weeks, many trees have lost branches or fallen entirely. As a result, some small animals have been displaced from their natural habitat.