Cape fires displace thousands

INFORMAL BUILDING AND POSSIBLY NEGLIGENCE WERE OTHER FACTORS

Thousands of people displaced and nine people left dead was the end result of three raging fires which broke out in informal settlements around Cape Town at the weekend.

The affected areas included the Imizamo Yethu informal settlement in Hout Bay, where galeforce winds raged, according the Cape Town Disaster Risk Management Centre.

“The fire occurred on Saturday, where 3 500 structures were burnt down, leaving more than 15 000 people displaced,” the centre’s head, Charlotte Powell, said.

Powell said while the cause of the blaze was yet to be determined, strong winds were a contributing factor, coupled with a highly densely populated area where structures were built without the requisite three-metre firebreak gaps.

Emergency shelters have been set up in the area with marquee tents, while mopping up operations started, she added.

“We are working closely with the community. There needs to be a solid, clean and rehabilitated area for the community to be relocated to.”

Food and supplies were provided by non-governmental-organisations and the general public.

Following the cancellation of the Cape Town Cycle Tour, food donations scheduled for the race had also been donated to the victims, she said.

Powell appealed to communities to know their emergency contacts, and hold awareness when it came to using fire as a method to cook and to light up homes.

“Be careful when cooking inside your home. Make sure all candles are put out.”

She said emergency personnel had great difficulty in accessing damage this weekend, due to residents blocking the road while trying to salvage what they could.

Acting provincial leader, the DA’s Bonginkosi Madikizela, urged those affected by the fires to be vigilant for their own safety.