Residents in Du Noon lost their Christmas spirit after over 200 informal structures were destroyed in a fire during the early hours of Christmas morning.
The City of Cape Town’s spokesperson for Fire and Rescue Services, Jermaine Carelse said the emergency call for multiple informal structures alight in the Ekuphumleni informal settlement in Du Noon came through at approximately 1.55am.
“More than 15 frontline fire engines and water tankers with over 70 staff were on scene from various fire stations as the strong wind made firefighting efforts challenging.
By 5.45am, firefighters contained the blaze that had razed over 200 informal structures and left hundreds displaced according to our initial estimates. One man was treated for burn wounds and firefighters are still on scene damping down,” Carelse said.
Humanitarian organisation, Gift of the Givers were called in to assist. The organisation's spokesperson, Ali Sablay said it's the 10th fire in eight days and its teams have been activated and are still assisting along other fire scenes as well.
“Our teams received the first call at 3.37am from Du Noon and4.53am from Richmond Street inDu Noon. Our teams are engaging with community leaders setting up distribution points to assist the fire victims this morning,” Sablay said.
The City of Cape Town firefighters were not spared as another fire was reported in the Freedom Informal Settlement in Nomzamo in Strand. The second fire in just 24 hours.
“At around 3.50am reports were received of informal structures alight in Freedom Informal in Nomzamo, Strand. Crews from Strand, Sir Lowry’s Pass, Macassar, and Lansdowne were dispatched and by 5.30am firefighters managed to extinguish the blaze. Our initial estimate is that seven structures were destroyed leaving 17 persons displaced. No injuries or fatalities were reported,” Carelse said.
The cause of the fires in both incidents has not been established yet
Gift of the Givers will also have its volunteers have been deployed to the area as well.
On Tuesday, a blaze in the Nog ‘n Bietjie informal settlement, a few hundred were left displaced.