CAPE TOWN - A 13-year-old may have saved lives and property after she witnessed a 4am shack fire and alerted others about the danger.
Nine people died in various house fires over the long weekend, including a family of three in Tafelsig.
The Tafelsig family lost their lives on the morning of Heritage Day.
City Fire and Rescue Services spokesperson Jermaine Carelse said they were alerted to the wendy house fire at 1.45am.
“On the scene, firefighters found two informal dwellings ablaze and the bodies of the father, mother and their daughter were discovered among the debris.
“The fire was extinguished at 3.08am and the scene was handed over to the South African Police Service,” said Carelse.
On Sunday, in the Covid-19 informal settlement in Mfuleni, another three people died after it was suspected that they fell asleep after cooking.
A 13-year-old girl has been hailed for her efforts of trying to alert others.
Community activist Anele Qulani said the incident came as a shock to the community.
“This happened in the early morning hours of Sunday at about 4am, when friends were having a good time and apparently they were cooking.
“The two fell asleep and the other one went out to get some drinks leaving the two behind.
“When he came back the house was on fire. He broke into the house to rescue the other two but unfortunately for him he inhaled too much smoke as he was trying to save them.
“It was a 13-year-old who just woken up to relieve herself who actually saw the fire spreading to other houses and she banged other houses and shouted at other people to wake up. Other shacks were damaged and they lost some of the items in the house but managed to take some out,” said Qulani.
In Ravensmead, a blaze claimed the lives of three people and left 150 people displaced.
Project manager of humanitarian relief organisation Gift of the Givers, Ali Sablay, said they had come to the aid of the victims, assisting with nutritional meals, blankets and water.
“The fire occurred in the early hours of the morning where 22 structures burnt down, leaving 150 people displaced...Our teams were immediately on the ground from 9am for assessments.
’’We responded on Saturday with a hot nutritious meal, some blankets, baby care packs and water.
“Our teams were again on the ground on Sunday to do further humanitarian assistance in terms of hot meals and other items required. The fire is still under investigation and our teams will be assisting the situation,” said Sablay.
Community worker and co-ordinator for the Ravensmead Community Action Group, Dawn Marcus, confirmed the Rawel Community Centre will house victims while mop up operations take place.
Cape Times