This fire season has been devastating. Wildfires have swept through multiple municipalities in the Western Cape, destroying properties and infrastructure, and forcing many to evacuate their homes.

As talks with the local firefighting community in Worcester revealed, there is a strong sense among them that arson is a much greater part of this season’s fires than last.

Last summer already saw 25% of the fires set attributed to deliberate actions, and with an election coming up and tighter budget constraints on the province after the National government’s failure to rein in the national wage bill, the Cape is set for a tough time.

The fires, exacerbated by high winds and a thicker vegetation cover due to this past winter’s higher rainfall, have displaced over 250 people in the province.

Overstrand municipality has had to evacuate families in Sea Farm, relocating them temporarily to Kleinmond town hall, and have declared a code red, urging evacuation from Silversands, Sunny Seas, Seafarms, and Blesberg.

Cape Town firefighters are responding to incidents in Vrygrond, Masiphumelele, Broadlands, and Overcome Heights, while in Betty's Bay, residents prepare for evacuation as wildfires approach.

Fires continue to burn out of control in Breede Valley and Witzenberg in the Cape Winelands, impacting Steenbok Park, with the fire at Bainskloof outside Wellington continuing to blaze, with little of the respite hoped for from last night’s light rainfall.

The fire in Kluitjieskraal near Wolseley has entered its second week, consuming around 24,000 hectares.

Western Cape government has had to increase its already overstretched wildfire-fighting budget to cope, with departments borrowing vehicles and manpower across municipalities.

Previous wildfires in Kleinmond and Rhodes Memorial had significant firefighting costs, running into the millions of Rands.

The massive firefighting response involves 158 firefighters, 10 ground crews, 18 firefighting vehicles, and aerial efforts.

The true toll will not be known for another few weeks, and the statistics will not be made public for months, but it already looks like this may be one of the worst fire seasons in recent years.

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