Temporary homes for fire victims

THE 52 Farleigh residents left homeless after a massive fire which claimed eight lives last year in the Garden Route will be relocated to temporary mobile park homes.

They were among 172 people accommodated by SA National Parks (SANParks) in private establishments in October during a vegetation fire that killed two women and six children under the age of 12 years.

The fire destroyed 13 houses and more than 90 000 hectares in the Southern Cape farming community.

Evacuations were made from informal settlements including Blanco, Golden Valley and Step Aside, with at least 400 firefighters deployed to contain the blaze.

Many of the evacuees were SANParks employees and former employees of the Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries.

SANParks provided families with daily meals,support and grief counselling. It also repaired houses that were partially damaged allowing some staff members to return.

Of the 172 people affected, 120 have returned to the houses.

“As a medium-term solution, the remaining 52 people will be relocated from the private establishment where they were being housed, and will be moved to temporary mobile park homes set up in Farleigh,” said SANParks spokesperson Janine Raftopoulos.

She added that they wanted to ensure continued support for the community, and engagements with local authorities would continue in a bid to reach a long-term solution to suit both residents and the authorities.

“…the park homes will be available for six months while SANParks engages with local authorities ‘to provide’ alternative housing.”