letting nature back in

It is a month since the peak of the most recent of the wildfires that raged in our district. Ironically, after the intense heat and dryness, this week a cut-off low weather system brought unseasonal deluges of rain, heavy enough to cause flooding in some communities.

But back to the fires. In our Mediterranean climate here in the Western Cape (summer is our dry season), this season has been hotter and even drier than average. Combined with several other factors including the presence of blustery winds, conditions for wildfires have been optimal.

The main street in Stanford with a background of smoke, during a fire in January 2026

In a formal briefing on 22 January 2026, the Western Cape Provincial authorities said that this fire season “has recorded double the number of fires compared to the same period under review in the previous season, placing immense pressure on firefighting resources across the province”.

Officially, our fire season starts in December. But this season’s first major fire near where I live (in Stanford in the Overstrand Municipality in the Overberg) began in late October. The Provincial Premier said at the briefing that the 2025/26 fire season has been one of the most severe in a decade, with approximately 132 000 hectares of land having been burnt in the Western Cape province. He noted that across the province multiple structures have been destroyed,and the wildlife death toll has been huge. However, “there have been no human fatalities, a testament to the coordinated efforts of emergency services and disaster management teams”. (For more detail regarding this briefing see here.)

Visible from our window, rising smoke along the horizon from the Mountain Gansbaai Fire that was burning over 10 km (6 miles) away, 27 October 2025

I have been wanting to write a blog post about the weeks of fire that we have experienced since late October, 2025, but have not been sure how to tackle it. There have been many devastating fires across the province, including in the Winelands, near Mossel Bay and elsewhere, in addition to the fires closer to home in the Overberg. There have also been devastating fires in places in the Eastern Cape province. In this post I focus on the fires from late October 2025 to mid-January 2026, where billowing smoke if not the flames themselves were visible from our windows.

In this region fire is to be expected. Afterall, the naturally occurring fynbos vegetation is adapted to fire, with many species relying on fire for regeneration, but wildfires are increasingly destructive and increasingly frequent.

Rooikrans (Acacia cyclops) an invasive alien plant that grows bigger and taller than fynbos plants and can form dense thickets that are highly flammable

With the advent of large-scale agriculture and increasing urban development the landscape has been transformed and fragmented. Consequently, naturally occurring fynbos is no longer the dominant vegetation type and along with these changes there is the increasing presence of invasive alien vegetation. Alien plants such as rooikrans (Acacia cyclops) and Port Jackson willow (Acacia saligna) can give rise to hotter fires due to their flammable oils and greater biomass relative to the fynbos. The heat and density of this vegetation make extinguishing fires very difficult, and in addition thickets of alien vegetation can continue to smoulder undetected for a long time, raising the chances of flare-ups. Climate change, as elsewhere in the world, is another factor in the increasing the severity and frequency of wildfires. 

Human or human-related activities (that range from arson, careless/inadvertent starting of fires—such as discarding lit cigarette butts, burning old electrical power cables to salvage the copper cores, burning rubbish, and even smoking-out beehives—through to accidents such as motor vehicles catching alight or power cables touching in high wind) are the biggest cause of fires. Discarded glass bottles in sunlight near flammable material can also cause fires. Natural causes of fire include lightning strikes.

🔥The Mountain Gansbaai Fire 25 October 2025

The fire that started in the mountains near Gansbaai in late October was driven by strong winds. Access to fight the fire was difficult due to dense vegetation and mountain terrain. The fire spread rapidly and late in the evening, guests at the lodge at Grootbos Nature Reserve were evacuated for their safety on 25^th October. 

Above photos posted on Facebook, 25 October 2025, by the Overstrand Municipality in its update on the Mountain Gansbaai Fire. The Overstrand Municipality based in Hermanus issued daily fire updates (For the full update reports for the day see here)

Over the next few days, ground crews fighting the fires day and night and supported during the daylight hours by helicopters dropping water, heroically diverted the fire away from farm structures while struggling to contain the fire. Flare-ups continued over the week and due to smoke and hazardous conditions several roads, including the main road between Stanford and Gansbaai, had to be closed as the fires burnt close by or even jumped the roads.

The municipality’s report on the 1 November, noted that “Alien vegetation remains a serious problem and poses a significant challenge to effective fire management. Landowners are encouraged to develop an alien vegetation management plan for their properties and to establish and maintain proper firebreaks. In the fynbos areas, the fire lines are cold.”

The ongoing management of hotspots was helped by the almost miraculous onset of cooler weather in the first week of November, but mop-up operations along the perimeter continued into early November.

Platbos Forest Reserve

In August 2025, I posted on naturebackin about Platbos Forest, southern Africa’s southernmost forest, where ongoing fire-protection measures include alien clearance, maintenance of significantly wide firebreaks and the planting of hundreds of indigenous trees around the perimeter of the forest. In October 2025, the Gansbaai Mountain fire advanced rapidly on Platbos. In addition to arduous firefighting and ongoing mopping-up operations, the fire mitigating measures largely held. At times the temperatures cooled slightly and the winds moderated, which also helped.

Above is a Facebook post by Platbos Forest Reserve (28 October 2025). The extent of the fire is outlined in white. The “oasis” (the indentation in the top right-hand corner of the demarcated perimeter of the fire) is Platbos Forest, clearly protected by its firebreaks. The built-up area along the coast is De Kelders, near Gansbaai. (Seehere)

🔥Bredasdorp Mountain Fire 7 November 2025

The next fire that preoccupied us was further away but nevertheless produced significant smoke across the region. This fire was reportedly maliciously started on 7 November 2025 in Bredasdorp near residential properties that were saved from the fire. Over the next few days, the fire ranged across the mountains to Napier, a distance of about 16 km (10 miles).  Active firefighting to contain the fire and protect infrastructure and deal with flare-ups continued for over a week. 

Map of the region highlighting some of the places where fires occurred in late 2025 and January 2026, including Stanford and Gansbaai, from Google Maps. (See here)

🔥De Kelders/Gansbaai Fire 23 November 2025

On 23 November another fire flared up near Gansbaai, this time at De Kelders. By the 25^th November it was burning out of control, a situation complicated by a second fire at the Gansbaai township of Masakhane. Power was unavailable in some areas after electricity poles were burnt to the ground. It took a few days for conditions to allow for electricity to be restored. Once again, the main road between Stanford and Gansbaai saw several closures due to smoke and the fire jumping the main road, and once again Grootbos had to evacuate lodge guests as a precautionary measure.

Smoke seen from one of our loft windows as the fire continued spreading from Gansbaai on 25 November 2025

Yet another fire, this one near Stanford, was extinguished on 29^th November, but smouldering fires caused ongoing flare-ups in difficult-to-reach vegetation. The Overberg Municipality noted on 1^st December 2025 that “firefighting activities included anchoring the fire line on a firebreak and guiding it around structures where required. This approach will remain the main objective for the week, with crews focusing on making use of existing and available firebreaks and using tracks to allow the fire to burn safely into. Aerial resources have been used to limit the spread of the fire.” At this stage one of the fire lines was spreading towards the informal settlement of De Kop near Stanford. This part of the fire was eventually contained and structures at De Kop were protected.

A Working on Fire Huey helicopter descending to the Klein River near our house, to fill the water bucket (up to 1200 litre [317 US gallons] capacity) suspended beneath it, on 28 November. On that afternoon, as on several other days, the helicopter flew relentlessly for about 2 hours back and forth from the river to the head of the fire, contributing to slowing the onslaught of the fire

Smoke visible from our window from the still-burning De Kelders/Gansbaai Fire on 2 December 2025

The exhausted firefighters continued with their determined battle against the fire and numerous flare-ups. On 4^th December the update reported that the “fire line has been driven by both the wind and the available fuel, spreading unpredictably as the wind shifted direction. Various control lines were established to contain the fire within a designated block. However, large unburned patches, or “islands,” remain within these lines and are likely to continue burning for weeks due to the mixed vegetation in the area”.

Landowners and firefighters “will keep monitoring the perimeter and carry out mop-up operations to ensure the area remains secure. Spot fires outside the control lines remain the most significant risk, and if these are not contained, they will create new fire lines. Landowners must stay vigilant.”

Indeed, on 6^th December a significant flare-up took place in the Walker Bay Nature Reserve, requiring increased efforts from the firefighting crews in their ongoing management of the fire.

🔥Tesselaarsdal/Stanford fire 20 December 2025

You can imagine our dismay when we saw from a window distant smoke rising, this time to the north, over the nearby Klein River Mountains on 20^th December. We learnt that there were two fires – one was a mountain fire near Tesselaarsdal that is approximately 10 km (6 miles) away on the other side of the mountains from Stanford, and the other was near the town of Caledon, just over 20 km (12 miles) away from Stanford as the crow flies.

Smoke over the Klein Rivier Mountains from the Tesselaarsdal fire on 20 December, seen from next to our house in Stanford

Later on in the evening the flames became visible along the tops of the mountains. This photo was taken from one of our loft windows

During the night there were several fire lines in the mountains. The one we could see progressed downhill towards farm properties just outside Stanford at the foot of the mountains. Firefighting that night and the next day focussed on protecting the structures and vineyards on those properties. By the next day this part of the fire was mostly contained. Efforts continued in preventing the fire spreading in the direction of Hermanus.

The fire was allowed to burn in this pocket of alien vegetation (that included eucalyptus and pine trees) as the perimeter was secure. The flames in the tall and flammable alien vegetation are clearly visible and are in contrast to the slower burn on the mountain slopes. The blackened mountains contrast with the green vineyards that were successfully protected from the fire

The relatively slow-burning mountain fire burning down the mountain slopes towards the vineyards and farmlands on 21 December 2025. Photo taken not far from our house in Stanford

Pockets of smoky fires still burning in alien vegetation at the base of the mountains on 23 December. These pockets were largely contained though still being monitored.

On 24^th December there was the blessing of cooler weather and some drizzle that helped dampen down the heat.  Pockets of fire in blocks of alien vegetation were allowed to burn out within a secure perimeter.

There was still smoke rising on Christmas Day. Firefighters remained vigilant in case of flare-ups but the active firefighting was largely done. The best Christmas present.

🔥Pearly Beach and Stanford fires 4 January 2026

On the 4^th of January there was news of a new fire south-east of Gansbaai, at Pearly Beach that is about 23 km (15 miles) from Stanford as the crow flies. Firefighters were mobilised as the fire burnt on both sides of the main road between Pearly Beach and Gansbaai. The road had to be closed due to poor visibility in the smoke. Aerial resources were activated to assist the ground crews.

Over the next few days road closures and detours were in place. In hot and windy conditions, the fire continued to spread into thick coastal bush and also inland so fire fighting continued on these two flanks. There was heavy smoke. Motorists could leave Pearly Beach only under escort and when conditions allowed for this. Access to Gansbaai from Pearly Beach was closed so the only road out was via an inland detour. On 6^th January residents at Pearly Beach and Eluxolweni were warned that evacuation might become necessary. The municipality reported that unfortunately some infrastructure was lost, affecting electricity and wifi infrastructure and some farm buildings.

Thumbnails on Google images relating to the Pearly Beach fire in January 2026

On the morning of 7^th January the road between Pearly Beach and Gansbaai was reopened. The municipality reported that approximately 200 people were actively involved in the firefighting operations, supported by aerial resources. The work was aimed at closing off blocks to contain the fires lines and any flare-ups. By the afternoon the fire lines in the mountains were burning inland towards Baardskeerdersbos.

And then in the evening there was the news of another fire near Stanford. While there was still enough light, aerial support was deployed in an effort to contain the fire.

Driving back from Hermanus towards Stanford on the morning on 8^th January, we were dismayed to see smoke rising in a column close to Stanford

On the 8^th January conditions became increasingly grim and the status of the Stanford fire was escalated to a Code Red fire emergency.  As the fire was out of control and posing an immediate threat to people and structures and local resources were at near capacity, fire fighters from neighbouring municipalities joined the many crews already engaged in fighting the fires. To make matters worse, a flare-up occurred in the Tesselaarsdal mountain fire that started on 20^th December.

As we drove closer to Stanford, we saw the fire and smoke from the car window

Fanned by high winds, the Stanford fire was escalating out of control, with teams still active on the ground. Approximately 3 174 ha had burnt since the previous day.

The 11h00 update from the municipal manager noted the heavy smoke over the Stanford area with two active flanks of the fire burning fiercely. The left flank was heading towards Die Kop Informal Settlement, while the right flank was burning towards the R326 (the road from Stanford towards Riviersonderend). We were informed that “fire crews are on the scene, and it is all hands on deck. The Black Hawk helicopter is also currently engaged in aerial firefighting operations”. Residents were “urged to remain alert and be prepared for a possible evacuation should conditions worsen. Loud hailing is underway at Die Kop [informal settlement]. The Stanford Community Hall in Bezuidenhout Street is open for those who wish to evacuate their properties as a precautionary measure”.

Visitors/holidaymakers still in the area were advised to “consider starting to pack up, as current conditions indicate that the wind may carry the fire across the R43. The Stanford road may be closed this afternoon”.

Later that afternoon on the 8^th January, the municipality update noted: “The fire has passed Panthera Africa and is burning in an easterly direction, fanned by high winds”. It was only later that we learned that in the strong and changeable winds, the fire approached with short notice at incredible speed and passed the sanctuary with devastating effects. See the box at the end of this post for more information about how Panthera Africa Big Cat Sanctuary was affected by the fire.

Taken from one of our loft windows on 8^th January, the helicopter—visible to the left of the Stanford church steeple—carrying a full bucket of water to dump on the fire visible on the horizon. The helicopter flew back and forth repeatedly, filling its water bucket from the small dam in Stanford and then flying off to dump the water on the head of the fire

At the same time, sections of the Pearly Beach fire were also burning uncontrollably, including burning on the inland side. The municipal report noted the fire was burning “with high intensity across farmland and mountainous terrain and has spread in the direction of Elim”. Firefighters had to work hard to protect the town of Elim. Heavy smoke and windy conditions limited the use of the available helicopters.

High intensity fires were also burning on the coastal flanks. There was news that the fire had spread into the Agulhas National Park. Residential buildings were successfully protected at this stage. The report also noted that “from an estimated 1 600 ha (3 890 acres) yesterday, approximately 15 292 ha (37 790 acres) have burned since the fire was first reported on 4 January 2026”.

In the distance, beyond the tree being buffeted by the wind, and through dense smoke the helicopter can just be seen dumping its bucket-load of water onto flames that were approaching a farmhouse on the outskirts of Stanford. This photo was taken from our loft (pushing the zoom lens a bit far to capture this dramatic image). The farmhouse was saved

By the following day, 9^th January, a further ±2 000 ha (±4 940 acres) were burnt in the Stanford fire that continued burning actively and out of control. With the fire fast approaching, residents at De Kop Informal Settlement were advised of a possible evacuation, and approximately 80 residents were evacuated to temporary shelter in the Stanford Community Hall. The fire was burning just across the main road from the Thembelihle residential area of Stanford amid heavy smoke. Amazingly, fire fighters with aerial support from helicopters managed to prevent the fire from burning structures at Die Kop and stop the fire from jumping the main road.

 

In the morning of 9^th January, this photo was taken from our loft window. Residents were advised to be on standby to evacuate should conditions change

Meanwhile, fires continued to burn with high intensity at Pearly Beach, fanned by high winds causing three major flare-ups. Fire fighters had to cope with a change in the dynamics when the fire made a sudden 180-degree turn as the wind changed. Firefighting activities included working to contain the fire around the Pearly Beach Resort and teams managed to guide the fire around the residential area of Eluxolweni and residents were warned by SMS to remain alert as the area remained at risk.

A view of two helicopters worked the same part of the fire as seen from our loft window. The one on the left with a full water-bucket is flying off in the direction of De Kop Informal Settlement. The one on the right has just returned to fill its water-bucket from the Willem Appel Dam in Stanford. This photo gives some idea of the smoke that one could not avoid breathing in as the smoke deposited fine layers of ash including indoors

On the morning of 10^th January, a large army Oryx helicopter joined in the aerial water bombardment of the fire along the main road to Gansbaai and De Kelders, which was closed. The Oryx and the smaller Working on Fire helicopter were repeatedly filling their water buckets from the small Willem Appel Dam in Stanford. The unsettling sound of the beating of the helicopter blades had become an accompaniment to the fires that was simultaneously reassuring and unsettling in anxious times.

A large army Oryx helicopter joined the smaller Huey helicopters in fighting the fires. These photos were taken from our loft window as the helicopter descended to the Willem Appel dam to refill its water bucket

The ground crews continued day and night fighting the fires in strong winds and in hot conditions. Residents and local businesses stepped up with donations of food, refreshments and other supplies for the exhausted fire crews.

The smoke visible from our window on the morning of 10^th January. The helicopters were already at work labouring to suppress the head of the fire

The municipal report noted that one might think there was nothing left to burn, and acknowledged the losses farmers, especially flower farmers, suffered in the fires.

Meanwhile in Pearly Beach where fire fighting continued day and night, most of the containment strategies were holding.

The pervasive smoke, seen from our window on 10^th January 2026

The 11^th  January saw progress in containing both the Stanford and Pearly Beach fires. In the Stanford area renewed efforts were focusing on the inaccessible old vegetation (aliens and fynbos) where active fire lines were still persisting. In sections of Pearly Beach, firefighters and landowners remained on high alert for any signs of smoke or flames.  The fuel load in dense alien vegetation, was conducive to flare-ups under strong wind conditions. The municipality reported that there was no immediate threat to houses and roads remained open.

On 12 January, in the early hours of the morning, the firefighters started a backburn of about 9 km in length to contain the Stanford fire in a defined block in which the fire could safely burn itself out. This backburn was the largest in the history of Overstrand Fire Services. Working together with local Fire Management Unit (FMU) members, the backburn was successfully completed after 19 hours of continuous work. A perimeter of around 10 km was established to prevent the fire from spreading further.

The weather cooled slightly and the wind eased, helping the firefighters with these efforts, but the risk of flare-ups remained high, especially in the areas invaded by rooikrans. In Pearly Beach fire crews continued with monitoring and mop-up operations and patrols.

Night view from our window on 12^th January, looking more-or-less to the south-east

On the next day (13^th Jan) efforts continued to contain the Stanford fire, made difficult due to the inaccessibility of unburnt areas that had a high fuel load with old, dry and dense vegetation that increased fire intensity. Landowners were assisting with creating access routes along the fire perimeters. Maximum firefighting resources continued to be deployed.

Parts of the fire at Pearly Beach flared up including in the mountains with an expected change in the wind adding to challenging conditions and the likelihood of further flare-ups. All roads remained open.

The nightmare continued, and on 14 January 2026, due to flare-ups both fires were out of control again. In the Stanford fire, two Huey helicopters were active, with the Oryx helicopter deployed to a flare-up in Pearly Beach.

Miraculously, late that evening drizzle arrived to dampen down out-of-control fire that was raging towards Baardskeerdersbos and Elim. Without the rain it could have been disastrous.

The fire in the direction of Elim and Baardskeerdersbos from our window on 14^th January, just before the drizzle that dampened down the flames

The update from the municipality the next day (15 January) was that although the rain brought much needed relief and that the cooler weather would assist the firefighters “we are not out of the woods yet”.

The work of the fire fighters continued, and fresh teams were brought in from neighbouring areas to assist. Further backburns were needed in a section of the Stanford fire, and further firelines still needed securing. At Pearly Beach, activities even included cutting through dense rooikrans with chainsaws. And more generally mopping-up activities continued. This work is far more exhausting than the phrase “mopping-up” even begins to convey.

Even while the fires were raging, the municipality engaged a Enviro Wildfire Consultancy to investigate the causes of the Pearly Beach and Stanford fires. The outcome of the investigations is yet to be reported.

I have tried to give an impression of the relentlessness of these fires, but there are many aspects and also several smaller fires that required attention that I have not had the knowledge or the space to mention. There are many traumatic experiences and losses that a summary such as this cannot cover.

This image of a bone-weary volunteer firefighter resting while out in the field in the Pearly Beach fire in January 2026 perhaps conveys something of what the firefighters went through. As individuals and as a community, we cannot sufficiently convey our gratitude and appreciation of what the firefighters accomplished under challenging, often terrifying and exhausting conditions. (For more info and source of this photo see here)

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Extensive damage by a wildfire to Panthera Africa Big Cat Sanctuary January 2026

Sources:

Greater Overberg Fire Protection Association. [n.d.] Get involved: Here’s how you can help. https://overbergfpa.co.za/get-involved-heres-how-you-can-help/

Overstrand Municipality. Daily fire updates from Overstrand Municipality. https://www.facebook.com/overstrandmunicipality?ref=embed_page

Panthera Africa Big Cat Sanctury. January 2026. Wildfires at Panthera Africa. We Urgently Need Your Support. https://pantheraafrica.com/wildfires/

Western Cape Government. Department of the Premier. 22 January 2026. Premier Winde and Minister Bredell provide update on water security challenges and wildfires. https://www.westerncape.gov.za/department-premier/article/premier-winde-and-minister-bredell-provide-update-water-security-challenges-and-wildfires

Posted by Carol