Authorities and humanitarian aid organisation, Gift of the Givers have urged residents of informal settlements to exercise caution as hot and windy conditions contribute to spark shack fires.
One person died following a fire that gutted the Wag ‘n Bietjie Informal Settlement at Nomzamo in Strand on Tuesday morning.
More than 60 structures have been destroyed and 200 people have been displaced.
Gift of the Givers Project Manager Ali Sablay says they will remain on site to provide urgent humanitarian relief to affected residents.
“We are pleading with the community to use extra caution. You find sometimes due to simple negligence, you’re not only destroying your home, but you also destroy the whole community. Unfortunately, one person had passed on due to some negligence in the community. When you are in a state of alcohol do not try to cook, do not try to leave your candle on because many times that’s the case where people leave their stoves and candles on, and with the strong south easterly winds, we see the devastation it has on the informal settlements.”
Nomzamo Fire | Informal settlement blaze claims one life, shacks destroyed
Masiphumelele
In another incident on Monday, a fire ripped through the Masiphumelele informal settlement near Fish Hoek in the Cape Peninsula.
An estimated 160 shacks were completely destroyed, and hundreds have been left homeless.
Scores left homeless after Masiphumelele informal settlement fire:
