Residents and visitors to Stellenbosch are urged not to be alarmed by the presence of smoke or fire crews in the area on Thursday 3 April, as Stellenbosch Municipality will conduct a controlled ecological burn in sections of Jan Marais Nature Reserve.
This scheduled action follows a previous burn at the reserve in April 2022 and is an essential part of maintaining the reserve’s fynbos ecosystem while reducing the risk of uncontrolled wildfires.
“The burn will be carefully managed with the assistance of the local and district fire department and the Winelands Fire Protection Association,” said municipal spokesperson Stuart Grobbelaar.
“To ensure safety the Jan Marais Nature Reserve will be closed to the public from Wednesday 2 April until the area is declared safe after the burn.”
The planned controlled burn will cover about 5 ha and is strategically scheduled at the start of winter. “The process will also help create a mosaic of veld ages, allowing wildlife to move to unaffected areas,” Grobbelaar added.
The municipality and fire department will closely monitor weather conditions and only proceed if conditions are favourable.
