Winelands Fire Protection Association

31/08/2026

31/08/2026

27/08/2026

Thank you to all who joined in and sent through questions during today's Summer Readiness Planning briefing.💙

Myself, Minister Anton Bredell, Dr Colin Deiner, and Karen Shippey unpacked exactly how the Western Cape is preparing for a hotter, drier summer and what it means for fires, water security, and heat risk in your area.

A few numbers that stood out:
🔥 112 new fire vehicles handed over to municipalities.
💧 Dams sitting at 80%. This is 5 percentage points lower than this time last year.
🚨 Dedicated hazmat units are prepared along high risk routes.

But the full plan goes further - how we are mapping risk area by area, where resources like aircraft and water tankers get positioned, and how we are becoming water resilient.

Here's what you can start doing right now:
🪣 Save water today, before the heat sets in.
🔥 Clear firebreaks and alien vegetation around your home and properties.
👵 Check in on elderly, family and neighbours as the hotter months approach.
🏊 Keep an eye on children near rivers and dams.
🔥 If you see smoke or a fire, report it immediately. Do not wait!

Watch the full briefing here: https://youtube.com/live/5XgxFsLD8t8?feature=share

If you have more related questions, pop them in the comments.👇

27/08/2026

🟡The Western Cape Government says it is preparing for a summer of extreme heat, a longer fire season and increased pressure on water resources, amid lower than normal rainfall this winter. Residents are being urged to start saving water now, while farmers and landowners are being asked to clear firebreaks and alien vegetation.

27/08/2026

https://www.news24.com/southafrica/news/el-nino-warning-r12m-allocated-as-western-cape-braces-for-hotter-longer-fire-season-20260827-0687

Around R12 million has been allocated to respond to wildfires in the Western Cape this summer, as authorities sound the alarm over the expected early and prolonged fire season.

25/08/2026

The Western Cape’s upcoming fire season has been extended from four to eight months amid the El Niño weather phenomenon. Local Government, Environmental Affairs and Development Planning MEC Anton Bredell says the move is due to warnings from experts that the province may be in for a tougher summer. He notes that usually they plan their summer season from December to March, but this time around it's from October to May. Indications are that this year's El Niño is on track to be the strongest on record, threatening to unleash extreme weather across the globe and make 2027 the hottest recorded year by far.

"Learning from the lessons of December (2025), we had a very bad season - the worst since 1997. We've lost 215,000 hectares of land. So yeah, this is all part of the bigger plan to safeguard our people. We're also busy talking to NSRI, Life Saving Western Cape to monitor our dams and our oceans because if we're going to be hit with extreme heat, people flock to the beaches, so that's another risk."

[Picture: Nova News]