Provincial disaster declared as wildfires devastate Western Cape

The Western Cape is experiencing its worst fire season in more than a decade, and Premier Alan Winde has now declared the devastation a provincial state of disaster.

Winde was briefing the media on the province’s response to the ongoing fire crisis and mounting water pressures when he revealed that the 2025/26 fire season has already surpassed previous years in scale and severity, making it the most destructive since 2015.

To date, approximately 132 000 hectares of land have burned across the province. The scale of the fires has placed immense pressure on firefighting resources, with double the number of fires recorded compared to the same period during the previous fire season. Multiple structures have been destroyed, and the wildlife death toll has been significant.

Despite the widespread devastation, no human fatalities have been reported, which the Premier attributed to the coordinated response by emergency services and disaster management teams.

“When tackling disasters such as this, our sole priority is to protect lives and as far as possible infrastructure, including homes. It is deeply unfortunate that structures have been destroyed. But our main priority is ensuring public safety,” Winde said.

Between 1 December 2025 and 11 January 2026, the Western Cape Government spent more than R19 million on firefighting operations, with R16 million allocated to aerial firefighting resources. These resources have been crucial in containing fires in hard-to-reach areas and protecting threatened communities.

Local governments have likely spent three times that amount on their own firefighting operations, the Premier said. The provincial government funds the first hour of aerial firefighting, a critical intervention during which 90% of fires are extinguished.

The response effort has mobilised more than 1 600 municipal firefighters, supported by an additional 1 000 Working on Fire personnel, who continue to battle blazes under persistent hot, dry and windy conditions. Projections indicate that the current fire season could extend into May 2026.

Given the severity and magnitude of the situation, Cabinet has requested that the National Disaster Management Centre (NDMC) classify the fires as a provincial disaster, in line with the Disaster Management Act.

This would allow the provincial government to shift budgets between departments to strengthen municipal firefighting capacity, water infrastructure and supply.

“It has already been a challenging start to 2026. Ongoing violent crime, along with the wildfires and the water situation in some regions, are grim reminders that we dare not let our guard down, and as we enter a new year, we must continue to act with urgency to get things done,” Winde said while opening the Western Cape Government’s first Cabinet meeting of 2026.

Cabinet also supported a request for a Provincial Disaster Declaration to sustain the response to worsening water security challenges, particularly in the Southern Cape.

While Knysna Municipality is currently the hardest hit, the Premier warned that water shortages are becoming more widespread, with restrictions already in place in multiple municipalities.

“The request for a Provincial Disaster Classification is a preventative and risk management measure. It allows us to strengthen governance and sustain a coordinated response, desperately needed to mitigate the impact on residents, the economy, and infrastructure,” Winde said.

Cabinet further noted calls for a disaster declaration on crime, acknowledging that crime prevention and law enforcement remain national competencies. Winde said he would engage Acting Police Minister Professor Firoz Cachalia and Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs Minister Velenkosini Hlabisa early next month.

The Premier concluded by thanking emergency personnel and stakeholders who worked throughout the festive period under extreme conditions.

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Weekend Argus