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A fire truck seen at the at the Zamimpilo Informal Settlement where two toddlers died after a fire.
The Johannesburg Emergency Management Services says it is intensifying its public education programmes focused on the safe use of heating devices to prevent fire-related fatalities this winter.
This week alone, four toddlers were killed in shack fires across Johannesburg.
Two toddlers died on Monday in Slovoville in Soweto, and the other two died on Wednesday at the Zamimpilo Informal Settlement.
Johannesburg EMS spokesperson Robert Mulaudzi says the programmes will inform communities on how to stay warm safely during this winter season.
“During winter season, we normally see an increase in terms of the number of fire incidents, especially in our informal settlements. The reasons are that they’re using mostly brazier, which is not a problem, but becomes a problem if maybe they take it inside the shack because they will inhale those toxic fumes which are coming from the brazier, and then they might not wake up in the morning.”
IN PICTURES | Two four-year-old twin children died on Tuesday morning when a fire swept through the Zamimpilo informal settlement west of Johannesburg.
The fire reportedly started when people fled a police and military operation, leaving a stove unattended while cooking. The… pic.twitter.com/6JnPYjAlcp
— SABC News (@SABCNews) May 12, 2026
