Signal Hill blaze amid rise in summer fires in CT

While a fire that broke out on Signal Hill on Sunday night has been contained, it comes amid an increase in fire incidents year-on-year.

Visitors to Signal Hill had to evacuate the area after sunset that day, when a fire broke out in the mountainous area above Voetboog Street in Bo-Kaap. Signal Hill Road was also closed down as a precaution.

This prompted a large-scale emergency response at around 21:30 including over 60 firefighters from the Table Mountain National Park and the Volunteer Wildlife Services, said Fire and Rescue Services spokesperson, Jermaine Carelse.

“Crews were protecting property in Voetboog Street as the fire was moving in that direction,” said Carelse.

South African National Parks confirmed that the fire was contained by 23:00, after which mopping-up operations began.

Carelse confirmed that no property was damaged and no injuries were reported.

“At around 01:00 the fire was extinguished and periodic inspections were completed until 04:30 this morning to ascertain if there were any flare ups.”

He further noted that the cause of the fire is still unknown.

The Signal Hill incident comes amid fire statistics released by the City of Cape Town for the period between 1 December and 15 January, which it said shows a year-on-year increase across multiple fire categories.

Total incidents rose from 5,309 to 5,608, while vegetation fires increased from 3,213 to 3,492. Formal residential fires rose to 244, from 210, and informal residential fires climbed to 332 from 315.

Between October 2025 and early January 2026, nearly 7,000 people were affected by fires across the metro.

Mayoral Committee Member for Safety and Security, JP Smith, said higher temperatures and prolonged south-easterly winds have intensified risks.

“These fires disrupt thousands of lives every year, and many people struggle for months, if not longer, to find their feet. It is for this reason that we need to put greater emphasis on disaster reduction,” said Smith.

Smith encouraged residents to familiarise themselves with fire safety measures and to report fires immediately to the Public Emergency Communication Centre.

“Each and every one of us need to start thinking differently about our role in fire prevention and mitigation. What can we do in our homes and our community to lower the risk of fires and other hazards, or to mitigate the impact when disaster does strike?”

Safety tips

The City listed some fire prevention and safety tips for locals to take note of:

Create a family emergency plan that coordinates your evacuation in the event of a disaster. Decide where you and your family will meet, and how you will get there. Make sure each family member has a copy of the plan.

If you have a serious medical condition, wear medic alert tags or bracelets that identify your illness.

Create a document that gives essential information about each family member: ID number, date of birth. Important medical information, home address, school or work address, phone numbers, medical aid and insurance details.

Identify at least two exits from every room, and check for any items that could block your escape path from the building.

Identify and remove potential fire hazards from your home to reduce the risk of fire.