Western Cape Authorities Contain Wildfires That Destroy 90,000 Hectares, Leaving Thousands Homeless
- Firefighters in the Western Cape battled to contain major blazes in the province over the weekend as wildfires gutted homes and destroyed land
- At least 10 major wildfires spread through different parts of the province as authorities investigate the cause of the blazes
- South Africans had different views on how the fire was started, and some believed that it was sabotage from the international community
For seven years, Tebogo Mokwena, Briefly News’ Deputy Head of Current Affairs, South Africa, covered a range of topics, including accidents, fires, outbreaks, nature, weather, and natural disaster-related incidents, at Daily Sun and Vutivi Business News.
Source: Getty Images
WESTERN CAPE — Firefighters in the Western Cape managed to contain 10 wildfires that spread through the province over the weekend of 9, 10, and 11 January 2026. Despite their valiant efforts, thousands were left homeless in some parts of the province.
According to IOL, wildfires broke out in areas like Cape Town, Mossel Bay, Dunoon, Pearly Beach, and Stanford, where firefighters battled with the flames. The fires spread in the wild and in areas where at least 5,500 people were left homeless.
Wildfires contained, thousands left homeless
The major fires damaged over 40 structures and scorched over 90,000 hectares of land. One of the fires in Dunoon left 5,500 people homeless. A wildfire in Mossel Bay affected 23 square kilometres. It covered areas like Island View, Vakansieplaas, and Aalyndal on 9 January. Firefighters from different municipalities, including the Garden Route District Municipality, and firefighters from Gauteng assisted in fighting the blaze.
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Members of communities also donated, and the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals continued to search for injured dogs in the rubble. The Premier of the Western Cape, Alan Winde, said no lives were lost.
He called on members of the public to report fires immediately upon seeing them so the government can respond swiftly. Images of the Mossel Bay fire, which destroyed homes and cars, circulated on social media. The pictures showed how some homes' roofs were destroyed, and the infrastructure was damaged.
Source: Getty Images
South Africans blame Israel
Netizens commenting had theories about who caused the blaze. Some blamed Israel, while others were devastated.
ASM said:
"We live amongst the most evil people calling themselves the chosen ones."
Maru alleged:
"It's Israel. They are not happy we laid a charge against them at the ICJ."
Eco365 said:
"Losing 100,000 hectares of an ecosystem in one swing is sadly devastating."
Ntokozo Mgazi said:
"The devils are at it again."
Video of Mossel Bay fire goes viral
In a related article, Briefly News reported that a video of the Mossel Bay fires went viral, and the video left South Africans worried about the area. The video was taken after the Mossel Bay fires swept through the municipality.
A video of the flames was shared on TikTok, and it shows dark and orange flames shooting into the air. South Africans expressed their concern in the comments.
"This is terrible. I feel so sorry for the people," one netizen said.
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Source: Briefly News
