Article Last Updated: 16/01/2026
On 22 December in the early hours of the morning, a vehicle caught fire at the top of Uitkyk Pass. This resulted in ongoing fires to the Algeria area of the Cederberg. The prime areas affected when the fire broke out extended from Uitkyk Pass towards Driehook Farm, but the fire did continue to move and has yet to be confirmed as inactive. The entire Algeria area was closed with immediate effect until 12 January 2026. The fire did extend into the Dwars Rivier area and proved more difficult to control due to the accessibility of the area.
The Cederberg area was safely evacuated and firefighting operations have continued with multiple teams throughout the week of Christmas. On 27 December, CapeNature confirmed that a total of 24 000 hectares had been lost to the fire. As of 29 December this estimate has risen to 34 000 damaged hectares. CapeNature remains confident that with seasonal rainfall this ecosystem will recover. No lives have been lost in these fires and no further damage to infrastructure is imminent.
Current Closures
At present, the following CapeNature and private properties are closed:
-All hiking trails
-Algeria and Bosherberge Campsites
-Stadsaal
Truitjieskraal
-Driehoek
-Kromrivier – Cederberg Park
Any non-compliance and trespassing into the above areas will result in immediate and further closures. No climbing or bouldering is currently permitted in the affected areas and may remain closed for the next six months to a year.
Open Areas
-Sandrif
-Wolfberg Cracks
-Oasis
-Nuwerus
To keep up to date with the current fire warnings, you can refer to the below map.
Members of the public are still encouraged to avoid the Cederberg area and adhere to closures and restrictions put in place by the Cederberg Municipality and CapeNature. Continue to report any fires directly to the fire department and verify these fires before sharing them online. Further updates on the total damage and closures will be made available and updated here, once more information is released.
