Cape Town: Additional resources have been brought on to help in dealing with increased vegetation fires over the warmer months that are standing down. It included 78 Wildland Firefighters as Cape Town switches seasons.
The Wildland Firefighters are seasonal employees who are employed annually in terms of the Fire and Rescue Service’s summer readiness plan, especially when Cape Town experiences a surge in vegetation fires.
In recent years, the Fire and Rescue Service has recorded increase in the total number of emergency incidents in response to, that included vegetation fires – signalling just how critical the additional resources are.
Member of the Mayoral Committee for Safety and Security – Alderman JP Smith stated that the Wildland Firefighters are strategically deployed to cover the areas in Cape Town that are prone to runaway vegetation fires and freeing up permanent on-duty staff to attend to other types of emergencies. As the statistics show, their presence is critical, because the pressure on the Fire and Rescue Service is relentless, on all fronts.
Smith added that combatting vegetation fires is no easy feat, and they salute the Wildland crews for their contribution to the cause. In fact, thanks to each and every person who has been on the frontlines this summer, including the permanent firefighters, the crews from other entities and of course the volunteers in Disaster Risk Management and the Volunteer Wildfire Services. Cape Town owes them all a debt of gratitude.
The Wildland Firefighters aren’t the only ones whose season has come to an end; the aerial firefighting support will also be grounded on May 31, 2026. The two Huey helicopters and the fixed wing light spotter aircraft that form part of the Fire and Rescue Service’s arsenal each summer are critical to efforts to manage and respond to large vegetation fires, particularly in mountainous areas.
Alderman Smith said that the challenges particular to summer are now in the rear-view mirror, but let’s not forget that the risk of fire is ever present, and that the colder months come with challenges of their own. Let’s all work to keep fire safety top of mind at all times.