A fire that broke out at Paarl Provincial Hospital on Tuesday morning prompted the evacuation of patients and staff, but no injuries or fatalities were reported.

Drakenstein Municipality’s Fire and Rescue Services responded to the incident at 11:17 on 27 January 2026. By midday, firefighters had successfully contained the blaze to the Day Hospital section of the facility.

All occupants from the ground, first and second floors were safely evacuated as a precaution. Emergency teams worked swiftly to move patients, including those in critical care areas, to other medical facilities in the region.

The Western Cape Department of Health and Wellness confirmed that the hospital’s Outpatient Department sustained extensive damage. Maternity patients were among those relocated to nearby hospitals to ensure continuity of care.

Western Cape Health MEC Mireille Wenger said early indications suggested a vehicle parked next to the building caught alight, causing the fire to spread, but this is still under investigation.

A 35-year-old man has since been arrested in connection with the blaze. It has been alleged by several eyewitnesses that a man set a bin alight that was next to the car, which then caused the car to catch fire, which then spread to the facility.

“Thanks to the coordinated response, patients were safely relocated and no injuries were reported. We are now focused on restoring services as quickly and safely as possible, while ensuring continuity of care for all affected patients,” Wenger said.

Drakenstein Executive Mayor Stephen Korabie described the hospital as the largest in the Boland region, serving thousands of residents daily. He said the fire caused major disruption and required the evacuation of large numbers of patients, including those in operating theatres and mothers who were in the process of giving birth.

“These critical patients were prioritised and transferred to Tygerberg Hospital and other surrounding facilities,” Korabie said.

He confirmed that emergency services brought the fire under control within an hour and that a centralised disaster management team coordinated operations on the ground.

Specialists, including fire officials, engineers and medical staff, later assessed the building to determine which areas could safely be used again. Plans were put in place to gradually return services where possible.

Korabie thanked residents for heeding calls to stay away from the hospital during the emergency, saying this helped prevent further congestion while responders did their work. He also expressed appreciation for community support, including donations of water and food for emergency personnel.

“No patients were lost, and no patients were injured,” he said. “The professionalism, skill and training of our fire and emergency teams ensured that this situation was handled effectively.”

Traffic officers, law enforcement and the South African Police Service remained on site on Tuesday evening to secure the area while investigations into the cause of the fire continue.

*This article has been updated to reflect that an arrest has been made in connection with the fire.