Women on the fireline: the strength behind fighting wildfires

Wildfire firefighting demands more than physical strength. It requires endurance, mental resilience and the ability to work as part of a team in some of the most difficult conditions.

For CapeNature conservation officer and firefighter Amber Ing, staying fit for the job is less about spending hours in a gym and more about maintaining an active lifestyle that prepares her for the demands of working in the field.

Ing, who works at Rocherpan Nature Reserve, has been in conservation since 2020. Her work ranges from hiking through rough terrain to check infrastructure and conduct patrols to clearing invasive plants and responding to wildfires.

Ing said she stays fit by remaining active outdoors, eating properly, drinking enough water and taking care of herself, particularly during fire season.

She said physical strength was important, but firefighting also required firefighters to understand how to look after their bodies so they could perform when needed.

Firefighters can hike long distances carrying heavy equipment in hot and smoky conditions, sometimes across steep and rocky terrain. Reaching a fire does not mean the physical work is over.

Ing has worked as part of ground crews, operated skid units and more recently assisted with the incident command system, giving her experience in different aspects of wildfire response.

She said physical fitness was only one part of doing the job safely and effectively.

“People often think firefighting is all about being physically strong, but I think teamwork is the most important part of the job,” she told TimesLIVE.

CapeNature conservation officer and firefighter Amber Ing. Picture: (CapeNature) “Firefighters have to trust one another, communicate effectively and remain calm under pressure. You have to trust the people around you because everyone relies on one another to stay safe,” said Ing.

Ing’s physical and mental resilience was tested during the Cederberg wildfire in December 2025, which she described as the biggest fire she had worked on.

The fire brought long hours, difficult terrain, unpredictable weather and rapidly changing fire behaviour.

“The fire seemed endless, and every day brought new challenges,” she said.

Despite the challenges, Ing said the experience reinforced the importance of teamwork.

“Looking back now, what stands out the most isn’t the fire itself, it’s the people”.

She recalled how firefighters working on the fireline, operating skid units and supporting the incident command post worked together throughout the incident.

Her experience comes after a particularly severe wildfire season in the Western Cape.

CapeNature responded to 107 wildfire incidents during the 2025/26 fire season, with the fires collectively burning 215,936ha. Just less than 76,650ha of that area was on land managed by CapeNature.

The Cederberg Wilderness Area was particularly badly affected, with about 53,310ha burned, affecting 75% of the reserve.

Two large fires in January burned 33,719ha across the Paarl, Franschhoek and Jonkershoek areas and destroyed the national monument Chamonix Hotel.

CapeNature CEO Dr Ashley Naidoo said the organisation’s long-term trend analysis showed the number of fires remained on a significant upward trajectory, with the average area burned per fire more than doubling over the past 20 years.

Western Cape MEC for local government, environmental affairs and development planning Anton Bredell described firefighting as one of the most physically demanding occupations, with firefighters often carrying heavy equipment across steep mountain terrain for hours in extreme heat.

CapeNature hosted an appreciation event in Velddrif on August 4 2026 to honour firefighters who were on the frontlines during the Western Cape’s most recent fire season. A representative group attended the event on behalf of CapeNature’s larger cohort of field rangers and firefighters working across the province. Picture: (Cape Nature) TimesLIVE