Table Mountain National Park

Many invasive alien plants — including Acacias, Pines, and Eucalypts — are extremely flammable and contribute to unnaturally high fuel loads. These dense infestations lead to hotter, more destructive wildfires, threatening both people and biodiversity.

TMNP runs an extensive invasive alien plant clearing programme, aligned with our conservation mandate to rehabilitate fynbos ecosystems. Clearing decades-old infestations produces large amounts of biomass (“slash”) which, if left on the ground, can:

• Prevent natural fynbos regeneration,
• Increase fuel loads and future fire intensity, and
• Hinder follow-up clearing operations required to manage the long-lived invasive seedbanks.

Stack burning provides a controlled, cost-effective solution to safely dispose of this biomass while supporting ecological recovery.

Stack burning involves piling up cut invasive vegetation and burning it under carefully controlled conditions. In TMNP, these burns are typically conducted in winter, when cooler, wetter weather reduces the risk of uncontrolled fires.

Controlled stack burns:

• Reduce fuel hazards before the hot, dry summer months,
• Stimulate fynbos seed germination, and
• Recycle nutrients back into the soil.

By removing dry, flammable vegetation from the landscape, winter stack burning plays a crucial role in protecting both biodiversity and communities on the park’s boundary.

1. Fuel Load Reduction: Burning stacked biomass removes large volumes of flammable material, reducing wildfire spread and intensity during summer.
2. Invasive Species Control: Fire helps trigger invasive seed germination, allowing for targeted follow-up treatments such as manual removal or herbicide application.
3. Controlled Conditions: Burning in winter allows TMNP managers to select safe conditions — when humidity is higher, winds are moderate, and firefighting resources are available — greatly reducing the risk of runaway fires.
4. Seed Germination and Fynbos Regeneration: Fire is essential for fynbos ecology. It breaks seed dormancy, promoting the recovery of indigenous species adapted to fire.
5. Nutrient Recycling: Combustion returns nutrients to the soil, supporting the next wave of native plant growth.
6. Habitat Creation: Fire creates a mosaic of habitats, benefiting different plants and animals that depend on various post-fire stages.
7. Reduced Competition: Burning helps control invasive regrowth and creates space for indigenous fynbos to re-establish.

Stack burning requires careful planning, risk assessment, and coordination. TMNP considers several key factors before each burn operation:

1. Timing and Season

   • All burns are conducted under winter permit conditions, when temperatures are lower and soil moisture is higher.
   • This timing minimizes risk and ensures firefighting resources are available.
   • Burning outside of legal fire seasons is prohibited.

2. Fire Frequency and Risk Balance

   TMNP evaluates:

   • The volume of biomass generated by annual clearing,
   • Ecological recovery cycles, and
   • The risk posed to the wildland–urban interface.

   When stack burning is delayed due to public objections or unfavourable conditions, fuel loads can accumulate, increasing the potential for high-intensity summer fires. Dense invasive canopies also reduce the effectiveness of aerial water drops, making suppression more difficult and resource-intensive.

3. Ecosystem-Specific Management

   TMNP’s landscapes vary widely — from steep mountain slopes to dense thickets — and no single approach fits all. Some areas may require prescribed ecological burns rather than stack burns, depending on accessibility, slope, vegetation type, and conservation objectives.

The soils and geology of Table Mountain National Park are sensitive to heat and erosion. To minimise damage and ensure healthy regeneration:

1. Timing and Soil Moisture

   • Burns are only conducted when soils are moist, often following winter rainfall.
   • Moist soil acts as a buffer, preventing overheating and protecting the fynbos seedbank.
   • If soils are dry, burns are postponed.

2. Stack Size and Placement

   • Contractors are instructed to create smaller, less dense stacks, which generate lower heat intensity.
   • Large branches are removed and often made available for secondary uses such as firewood or charcoal production.
   • Stacks are strategically placed to avoid:
     • Riparian zones and wetlands,
     • Sensitive vegetation,
     • Infrastructure such as roads, powerlines, and buildings.
   • Where conditions make safe burning impractical, cut material may be left to decompose naturally.

3. Post-Burn Monitoring and Adaptive Management

   • TMNP staff monitor sites after burns to assess soil condition and vegetation recovery.
   • Lessons from each season inform future burn planning and timing.
   • Burn schedules are adaptive, adjusting to:
     • Weather patterns,
     • Permit restrictions, and
     • Public safety considerations.

Table Mountain National Park faces unique challenges compared to other protected areas — balancing:

• Ecological restoration,
• Urban safety, and
• Visitor and resident concerns.

As climate change drives hotter, drier, and windier summers, the likelihood of extreme wildfire events increases. Preparing for these conditions means making proactive management decisions — using fire as a tool, not just a threat.

Fire is a natural part of the fynbos ecosystem. The question is not whether fynbos will burn, but how and when.Stack burning, alongside prescribed ecological burning, are essential management strategies that allow TMNP to:

• Reduce risk to life and property,
• Support the long-term health of fynbos ecosystems, and
• Fight wildfires on our terms — in winter, under controlled conditions — rather than during extreme summer events.

California and Hawaii have shown the devastating consequences of uncontrolled wildfires. By embracing proactive, science-based fire management, Cape Town can avoid similar catastrophes and safeguard both its people and its biodiversity.

Stack burning is a vital management tool in Table Mountain National Park that:

• Reduces fire risk,
• Supports fynbos regeneration, and
• Helps protect communities and biodiversity.

While not without challenges or controversy, it remains one of the most effective, scientifically grounded strategies for maintaining ecological balance and safety in a fire-dependent landscape.