Cape Town - A Philippi woman died on Sunday in a fire that destroyed about 300 shacks.
Gift of the Givers spokesperson Ali Sablay said: “Teams were called out at 4.30am on Sunday by community members of Polar Park in Philippi. Over 300 structures burnt to the ground and nearly 1000 people were displaced. A woman perished in the fire.”
The NGO team was on site as early as 10am on Sunday to assist those who had lost their belongings.
Another fire destroyed several structures in Masiphumelele informal settlement on Saturday, killing three people.
The City’s Fire and Rescue Services spokesperson, Jermaine Carelse, said: “A crew from the Kommetjie fire station were the first to be dispatched. From a distance you could see the raging inferno, and we immediately called for additional resources.”
Carelse said by 6am firefighters had managed to extinguish the blaze, which destroyed many informal structures. Police are investigating the cause of the fire.
In November, the SABC reported that Cape Town mayor Geordin Hill-Lewis visited the Masiphumelele informal settlement following the destruction of 375 shacks, which left 1800 people displaced.
At the time Lewis said: “Where we are standing, there’s water because we are actually in a wetland right here. It’s really tough for people to be living here. It’s difficult for fireman to get here with the fire crews when there is a fire.
“The permanent solution is to move people out of here and to de-densify this informal settlement completely, but as soon as we make space – more people move in, almost instantaneously. So it’s a real conundrum,” Hill-Lewis said.
On December 30, a fire in Dunoon displaced about 106 people, while over 200 structures were destroyed.
Safety and security Mayco member, JP Smith, said: “More than 60 firefighters were utilising 16 firefighting appliances to contain the blaze.
“Firefighting efforts were severely hampered by the structures built close to each other, many of which were double storeys, making it difficult for fire vehicles to manoeuvre in the congested space,” Smith said.
Firefighters from Milnerton fire station managed to contain the fire in Usasaza Street.