The City’s Fire and Rescue Service has had its hands full battling shack and veld fires that have affected nearly 1 000 people in the past few days.
In Imizamo Yethu, Hout Bay, a fire broke out at about 9pm on Tuesday in the Mandela Park area, destroying a number of structures and formal houses.
According to ward councillor Roberto Quintas, on Wednesday morning the Disaster Risk Management (DRM) officials were on site conducting assessments.
“Preliminary findings indicate nine formal houses with 20 backyard structures and a total of 47 people affected confirmed so far with more registering throughout the morning. Thankfully no injuries or fatalities have been reported. Our DRM team has called building inspectors, electricity, water and sanitation officials, the Department of Social Development, solid waste management, informal settlements management and Sassa,” said Quintas
Humanitarian organisation Gift of the Givers teams said they were also on site, busy with assessments and delivering humanitarian assistance to the affected families.
The organisation’s operations manager, Ali Sablay, said this was the fourth fire recorded in two days their teams have been assisting at and 14 in three weeks.
“All credit due to the City of Cape Town Fire Department,” he said.
Other fire incidents happened in Seawinds, with 135 structures destroyed, Jim Se Bos 60 structures, Wallacedene 45 structures and Killarney Gardens nearly 100 structures gutted.
In Woodstock a derelict building also burnt down and affected two other buildings.
Mayco member for safety and security JP Smith said the Fire and Rescue Service responded to 1 014 incidents between December 18 and December 26 of which vegetation fires accounted for 65% of all incidents.
“Apart from the massive fires in Simon’s Town and Glencairn, the Fire service was also called on to deal with large vegetation fires in Melkbosstrand and Ottery,” Smith said.
Meanwhile, the SA Weather Service has issued another warning of damaging winds on Wednesday into Thursday.
Cape Times