Hout Bay Neighbourhood Watch

07/03/2026

Imizamo Yethu Fire Update

Ward Cllr Roberto Miguel Quintas
Saturday 7 March
19h00

The residntial fire being fought in Imizamo Yethu’s Dontse Yakhe area is currently under control with the spread being contained if wind conditions remain constant.

The City’s Fire Servcies have thirteen asssorted fire engines and sixty staff on scene containing the blaze.

Preliminary estimates as of now number approximately eighty structures affected.

Thankfully no persons have been reported injured.

Services will remain on scene monitoring the fire, dousing down and assessing safety risk.

Tomorrow morning the City’s Disaster Risk Management will attend site and fully assess damages and affected households and action City services, parter NGO’s and SASSA in terms of soft and grant relief.

Thank you to our firefighters who are the heroes of every story, and please keep them as they monitor and manage the situation , and those affected by the fire in your prayers.

End in

07/03/2026

Fire in Imizamo Yethu
Ward Cllr Roberto Miguel Quintas
Saturday March 7
17h30

A residential fire in the upper areas of Imizamo Yethu’s Dontse Yakhe is being battled with four fire engines presently on the scene.

Community is reminded that interfering with the work of firefighters and other emergency personnel on the scene is a criminal offense.

Please allow them to do their critical work without intimidating, coercing or demanding that they deviate from their firefighting responsibilities and strategy.

Law Enforcement is on scene and more services are on route.

Community is also reminded to stay clear of disaster areas as the more vehicles or people present and nearby, the more difficult the situation in terms of time sensitive management and access.

Our thoughts are with those affected and with our personnel fighting the fire and managing the situation on the ground.

End

26/02/2026

25/02/2026

https://www.facebook.com/share/p/16e94BGSsd/?mibextid=wwXIfr

25/02/2026

A useful message to share with visitors:

A quick-thinking German tourist narrowly avoided being scammed by two credit card fraudsters yesterday when she realised in the nick of time what was happening and gave them an incorrect bank card PIN.

The incident took place at 17h35 in Queen Victoria St when she was approached by two smartly dressed scammers posing as security officers. They told her that she needed a permit to walk in the street as the President was in town. They then offered to issue the so-called permit, but the tourist became suspicious when they asked for her bank card and requested that she punch in her PIN on a fake numeric keypad which had been stuck on a wall.

The tourist inserted the incorrect PIN and promptly asked for her card back. The scammers then became aggressive, jumped into a waiting car, and drove off with her card. She then sought the help of a CCID Public Safety Officer who was on patrol in the area. The PSO called for back-up and the tourist was taken to Cape Town Central Police Station where she opened a case of fraud. She confirmed that she had blocked her bank card and no funds had been withdrawn. The numeric device, which the scammers had left behind, was booked in the police station.

➡️ Please warn visitors to Cape Town that credit card fraud is rife in Cape Town. Scammers pose as security officers and stop visitors, insisting that they need a “permit” to walk in a certain area. They then ask for a bank card and invite the person to punch in their PIN in a fake numeric device, often stuck to a wall. It’s a scam – no one needs a permit to walk in the Cape Town CBD
➡️ This is a key safety message of the CCID Safety & Security department’s “Stroll Smart, Stay Sharp” safety awareness campaign.

24/02/2026

Update on Imizamo Yethu Fire and Relief

Ward Cllr Roberto Miguel Quintas
Tuesday 24 March
18h45

The blaze affecting residential structures in Imizamo Yethu and surrounding vegetation has been contained.

It is with great thanks that it appears that there have been no injuries nor fatalities recorded regarding members of the public.

A fireman has sustained burns during the efforts and is receiving medical care.

It is still to early tell exactly how many structures and persons have been affected however once the area is doused down, all heat spots have been eradicated, and it is deemed safe for access, the City’s Disaster Risk Management will to carry out their standard operating procedure.

This will entail establishing how many households and individuals are affected, registering those for SASSA relief grants, coordinating with our partner NGOs for relief items and actioning relevant City services to address cleansing and repairs to infrastructure such as water and electricity.

I would firstly like to thank the many generous residents who have dropped off eyedrops and energy bars and drinks and water for our service men and women as well as relief items for fire victims at the Community Crime Prevention (CCP) Control Room.

Anyone wishing to donate goods for families affected and which will be distributed by our local powerhouse NGO Thula Thula, can continue to do so at CCP which is located at 9 Princess Street, accessed via Edward Road.

I would secondly like to thank our fire services men and women and our law enforcement service men and women who have been managing and containing the situation and who serve our community with distinction.

Our thoughts and prayers are with those who have lost much, and I will ensure that the coordination between DRM, SASSA and our NGOs rapidly come on line to assist those with every relief effort possible.

I can only thank almighty God that the situation is contained and no public have been harmed during the blaze.

End

24/02/2026

Update on Fire in Imizamo Yethu

MARK BOSCH
SPOKESPERSON FIRE AND RESCUE SERVICES

The Fire and Rescue Service received the call at 14:57 earlier today of informal dwellings alight in Nelson Mandela Road, Imizamo Yethu.

On arrival, crews got to work at extinguishing the dwelling fire; however, the fire spread to the vegetation behind the dwellings and up the mountain towards Penzance Road.

Additional resources were requested and the fire attack was split between extinguishing the dwelling fire and dealing with the vegetation that was burning.

Currently we have 10 fire engines and three water tankers on scene. One firefighter was injured (he has suffered superficial burns to his face) and has been taken to a nearby medical facility.

The vegetation fire has been contained - now most of our resources are concentrated at the informal dwelling fire. The exact number of dwellings involved is unknown at this time.

24/02/2026

Fire in Imizamo Yethu

Ward Cllr Roberto Miguel Quintas
Tuesday 24 February
16h30

A large residential fire is underway in Imizamo Yethu, Hout Bay.

Fire services are on the scene and working to extinguish the blaze affecting multiple formal and informal structures.

I am awaiting up to date information from Fire Services.

Residents in Imizamo Yethu are urged to please allow the Fire Services to work without any interference or impediment.

Hout Bay residents are advised to avoid the Hout Bay Gateway Circle by the police station as well as our local Fire Station and use alternative routes as this area is needed for urgent access by Fire Services.

Timing in these circumstances is critical and we cannot afford to lose minutes navigating cars and people, and we request all non-essential persons to avoid the area and allow our teams do the work at hand.

Should anyone wish to donate much needed eye drops, water, energy bars and drinks to our firemen, Community Crime Prevention (CCP) as a local first responder is happy to accept these and coordinate their delivery to our service men and women.

CCP can be located at 9 Princess Street, accessed via Edward Road.

Our thoughts and prayers are with the families and residents affected and terrified by the blaze, as well as our service men and women who are putting their lives on the line to assist our community.

End

28/01/2026

Hout Bay Fires Being Managed and Contained

Update by Cllr Roberto Miguel Quintas
Wednesday 28 January
18h00

The status of the fires in and around the Hout Bay Area currently is that they are being managed and contained, thanks to the heroic efforts of our City Fire Services along with Volunteer Wildfire Services and SANPARKS Fire Rangers.

The coordinated efforts of more than twenty five fire trucks and associated personnel as well as numerous helicopters has been an exercise in precision and coordination which has mitigated further risk and damages to property.

The fire in the Park Road area of the Valley Corridor is now contained and being extinguished.

The vegetation fires are still being managed and addressed and every effort is being made to contain these with pockets of concern being extinguished.

Residents wishing to sustain fire servicemen and women by means of donations of cool drinks, energy bars and the like, are reminded that Community Crime Prevention (CCP) is receiving donations on their behalf and will coordinate delivery to the emergency zones from their premises at 9 Princess Street.

I must personally thank those front line personnel for their efforts in managing this blaze thus far, and also extend my thoughts and prayers to those families affected by this fire.

Full assessments will begin shortly now that the residential fire is under control, and an investigation into possible causes will be underway.

Please remain vigilant, report fires, smoke, suspicious activity and remain clear of emergency and “hot zones”.

End

28/01/2026

Hout Bay Firefighter and Disaster Services Relief Accepted at CCP

Ward Cllr Roberto Miguel Quintas
Wednesday 28 January
17h00

City, SANPARKS and Volunteer Wildfire Services are on scene in Hout Bay attending to fires.

We have requested that non-essential personnel and members of the public please stay away from the emergency zones as the presence of additional people and vehicles can seriously impact and impede this high risk and volatile work.

Members of the public who are generously wanting to offer some relief in terms of cold waters, energy bars and drinks and other snacks for the emergency services on the ground are welcome to drop these at Community Crime Prevention (CCP).

CCP is situated at 9 Princess Street, accessed via Albert Road, has offered to receive donations from the public and ensure that coordinated delivery can occur to scene.

Please utilize this location for drop offs as under emergency situations such as these, it is requested that members of the public please also avoid the Hout Bay Fire Station which is currently an active and busy disaster risk managemnt location.

Thank you Hout Bay for your generosity and care for the service men and women doing their best to keep us safe.

End

28/01/2026

Hout Bay Fires Update
Cllr Roberto Miguel Quintas
Wednesday28 January
15h30

There are fires currently being managed in the upper Valley Road corridor areas as well as near Ruyteplaats Estate on upper Suikerbossie.

The local Fire & Rescue Chief is on the scene and has confirmed that there are approximately twenty five fire engines and trucks attending to the blaze, and there are three helicopters currently water bombing near human habitation at risk.

More helicopters and fire fighting personnel are confirmed to be on the way to assist with this operation, and SANPARKS Fire Rangers are deployed as well.

There is risk to homes and emergency services will need to enter and move about the area as freely as possible.

As such, and despite the public’s best wishes to assist, it is unbelievably imperative that non-essential service personnel please stay away from the affected areas.

The firefighting men and women are risking their lives to help protect homes and habitats and cannot afford the best intended distractions of members of the public being in the vicinity and impeding movement of emergency vehicles and operations.

Also, please be advised that large volumes of water being dumped from a high altitude can and will cause injury to persons who are standing by in an emergency environment.

Our thoughts are with those affected by the blaze so far, and with our dedicated teams of firefighters and related services on the ground.

End

19/01/2026