Emergency funding sought as WC battles devastating fires

THE Western Cape's 2025/26 fire season has already emerged as one of the most severe in a decade, with firefighting budgets exhausted with growing concern over water security.

- MURRAY SWART

Winde said the province has spent R16 million on helicopters and R19 million on bringing in resources.

Premier Alan Winde said Cabinet has agreed to request a provincial disaster classification to unlock emergency funding and allow resources to be shifted as both wildfire and drought pressures intensify.

"A number of us were onsite in Knysna in the Southern Cape yesterday to look at the issues there and Cabinet has agreed that we will ask for a disaster classification," Winde said.

"Firstly on the water situation in a number of our towns that are highly at risk. The second one, because it's so dry, fires have now depleted our budget systems and we need extra resources to come in from other parts of the country and reallocate funding which can happen through that declaration."