A study by Stellenbosch University has linked alcohol consumption to an increase in residential fires in Cape Town.
Researchers found that during the first alcohol ban in April 2020, residential fires dropped by 28% in informal areas and 37% in formal areas.
Data from the City of Cape Town for 2024/25 showed a 10% decrease in residential fires overall, along with a 25% drop in fire-related deaths, most of which occurred overnight on weekends.
Stellenbosch University
In a statement, the city partly credits the decline to stronger community partnerships and more fire safety education.
However, officials said alcohol remains a concern, as it makes it harder for people to act safely around flames or flammable materials when intoxicated.
Researcher Dr Natalia Flores Quiroz said while alcohol isn’t a direct cause of residential fires, it does increase the risk by creating dangerous situations.
“During COVID-19, South Africa was the only country in the world to completely ban alcohol sales. We studied how this affected residential fires in Cape Town and found a significant decrease. In April 2020, the fires went down by 32% compared to previous years.”
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