Smoke on the Water
The wake-up call for high risk fire season came early this year. Last weekend two fires in the Silvermine Mountains broke the rainy season truce. The second fire burnt a large area to the north-west of Echo Valley. It spread extremely quickly and took 6 hours to extinguish. Luckily a helicopter was available to support the fire fighters. The cause of the fire has not been determined, but it was most likely started by someone on purpose or through carelessness.
The mild and relatively dry winter was great for the 2010 World Cup, but it means that the fire risk is potentially high and the public need to be extra alert. Communities in parts of the Scenic South Peninsula such as Glencairn, Welcome Glen, Dido Valley and Sun Valley on the slopes of Dassenberg are particularly at risk as a result of the dense stands of alien vegetation in close proximity to homes. Appeals from both the local councilor Ald. Holderness and pressure from the Glencairn Fire Watch Committee, have to date not been successful in getting either the Navy or Public Works Department to clear their land of alien vegetation. These stands of alien vegetation place homes and human lives at huge risk and threaten the survival of local fynbos.
Report all fires to: 
City of Cape Town Fire Control directly on
Or dial Emergency hotline at 107 from a landline or from a cellphone.
To report a fire in the TMNP please call the hotline: or the City’s Regional Fire Control No: .
Report anyone starting fires to Law Enforcement on .