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Fire extinguishers seen on the ground as shacks burn.
Two people were killed in the early hours of Saturday morning during a fire incident involving multiple shacks at the Marathon Informal Settlement in Primrose, east of Johannesburg.
The exact cause of the fire is currently undetermined at this stage and the matter is under investigation by the local authorities.
Ekurhuleni emergency services spokesperson Eric Maloka says, “A district turnout was immediately activated, with fire crews from Primrose, Bedfordview and Edenvale Fire Stations responding swiftly to the scene. Upon arrival, emergency crews found several shacks fully engulfed in flames. Firefighters launched both offensive and defensive fire suppression operations, successfully containing and extinguishing the blaze, preventing it from spreading further.”
Two people have died early this morning during a fire incident involving multiple shacks at the Marathon Informal Settlement in Primrose East of JHB. The exact cause of the fire is still undetermined. #SABCNEWS
— rhulani baloyi (@rhulani1baloyi) January 10, 2026
Meanwhile, nearly 1 000 dwellings have been destroyed in a fire that swept through the Site 5 Informal Settlement in Du Noon in Milnerton on Friday.
City officials conducted an oversight visit in the affected area.
Cape Town Mayor Geordin Hill-Lewis says clean-up operations are continuing in the area and city crews and NGO partners will remain in the area for the next few days to help where needed.
“Because of the high winds, it was a very tough fire to extinguish. In the end, it required two helicopters and more than 12 fire engines to extinguish at around seven last night. The city was here first thing this morning, our crews from human settlements, from disaster management, from social development to start making our assessments and to start assisting residents.”
