Three killed

Photo: Twitter/EWN

Cape Town: Three killed, 150 people left homeless as fire rips through informal settlement

The devastating fire which started in Appelboord, Ravensmead claimed the lives of three people and left 150 homeless. See the photos here.

Three killed

Photo: Twitter/EWN

Three people were killed while 150 people were left homeless, and several people were treated for smoke inhalation.

THIS IS THE SECOND FIRE IN LESS THAN TWO WEEKS

According to a report by EWN reported on Sunday 22 homes were destroyed.

It is believed the fire is being investigated.

This comes a week after another devastating fire in Cape Town, where a hundred dwellings were destroyed.

ALSO READ: Cape Town: Couple burn to death during overnight shack fire

Gift of the Givers has reportedly stepped in to provide aid to those affected by the blaze.

The City of Cape Town’s Fire and Rescue Services spokesperson, Jermaine Carelse, said firefighters responded to reports of a fire at around 21:40 on Saturday.

They found a number of homes on fire and additional resources were requested.

“A blaze that ripped through Seawinds [on Saturday] night destroyed a number of informal homes and left several residents displaced. A total of 12 firefighting appliances and 50 firefighters battled to contain the fire before it was eventually extinguished by 03:00 [on Sunday] morning,” he said.

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No one was injured in the fire.

The City of Cape Town offered the following safety tips:

Shack fires are very hard to control and can have devastating consequences for residents of informal settlements.

Pay attention to these basic tips and help control the risk:

  • Keep a close eye on paraffin stoves.
  • Don’t cook near a window with a curtain.
  • Make sure the stove doesn’t fall over, which may burn children or cause a fire. Make sure cooking fires are put out properly.
  • Make sure candles are secure and can’t fall over.
  • Don’t go to sleep or leave the house with candles or gas lamps still burning.
  • Don’t smoke in bed!
  • Teach children about the dangers of fire.
  • Teach children not to play with matches or lighters – store these items out of their reach.
  • Make sure cigarette butts are put our properly before disposing of them.
  • Be aware of the dangers of illegal and faulty electricity connections, which also cause fires.
  • Keep a bucket handy to fill with water so that you can extinguish flames easily.
  • Keep a bucket of sand to put out paraffin fires.
  • Build shacks a good distance (at least 3m) apart to prevent fires from spreading; make sure this space is kept open.
  • Keep roads and access to shacks clear at all times.
  • Do not block roads with the shack’s belongings when there is a fire.
  • Do not prevent or disturb the work of fire crews fighting fires.