A surge in veld and bushfires around Nelson Mandela Bay has forced the closure of sections of the N2 highway and left communities on high alert as extreme heat, dry weather conditions and strong winds fuel fast-spreading blazes, and stretch firefighting resources across the Eastern Cape. A relentless run of veld and bushfires has scorched large swathes of land around Nelson Mandela Bay in recent weeks, threatening homes and major transport routes as dry, windy conditions fuelled the blazes. Traffic ground to a halt on the N2 between Nelson Mandela Bay and Jeffreys Bay on Tuesday, 6 January, as thick, choking smoke from a raging veld fire billowed across the highway, reducing visibility to near zero, while municipal firefighters and farmers battled to bring the flames under control.
Local authorities say a combination of hot summer temperatures, low rainfall and the region’s strong, unpredictable winds has created near-perfect conditions for fires to spread rapidly, stretching firefighting resources and keeping communities on high alert. Municipal spokesperson Sithembiso Soyaya said the metro had experienced a sharp increase in veld fires since December 2025, largely driven by prevailing summer weather conditions. “These natural weather conditions significantly elevate fire danger levels, allowing fires to spread rapidly and unpredictably once ignited,” Soyaya said.
“Areas most affected include open veld, road reserves and sections adjacent to residential communities, placing pressure on emergency resources and posing risks to property, infrastructure and public safety.” Despite the surge in fires, the municipality said its Fire and Emergency Services remained operationally alert. Soyaya said teams had been able to manage and contain incidents, even under difficult conditions. “As a municipality, we are satisfied with the capacity we have in terms of manpower and equipment, as demonstrated by how quickly we are able to extinguish fires,” he said.
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Traffic between Nelson Mandela Bay and Jeffreys Bay was diverted from the N2 to the Old Cape Road on Tuesday after dense smoke made the route unsafe. The blaze, which flared up late on Monday, 5 January, was still raging on Tuesday afternoon, when the municipality deployed 10 firefighting vehicles and teams near the wind farm. Kanyiso Miti, assistant manager for Fire Protection Services at Agri Eastern Cape, said the fire along the N2 had started days earlier, with the municipality initially assisting to extinguish the blaze. “We thought everything was under control, but the fire flared up again because of the heat, wind and extreme dryness of the land due to the lack of rain,” Miti said.
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