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- Three people have died in a fire in Cape Town.
- Six homes were destroyed during the blaze.
- The City of Cape Town has responded to more than 13 000 fires in just four months.
Three people, including a child, died in a fire that destroyed six homes in Fisantekraal, Cape Town on Monday morning.
The City of Cape Town's Fire and Rescue Service spokesperson, Jermaine Carelse, said the fire was reported at 00:50 on Monday at a home in Saartjie Baartman Street.
Crews from Durbanville, Kraaifontein and Atlantis were dispatched to the scene.
"By 02:30, firefighters extinguished the blaze that destroyed six informal structures and left several persons displaced," said Carelse.
"Sadly a man, woman and a minor (gender unknown), who sustained fatal burn wounds, were discovered under the debris."
??FIRE UPDATE by Fire & Rescue Services Spokesperson, Jermaine Carelse
— City of Cape Town (@CityofCT) February 12, 2024
Three persons died in a fire in Fisantekraal in the early hours of this morning, 12 February.
At approximately 00:50 an emergency call was received of a structure alight in Saartjie Baartman Street.#CTNews pic.twitter.com/QylBgem79p
Carelse said a fourth person had sustained "30% burn wounds' to his body, and had been transported to a nearby medical facility.
"The cause of the fire is still unknown, pending an investigation from the South African Police Service," he said.
The City previously reported that between October and January, it recorded 13 087 fire-related incidents, making it one of the busiest periods in the last four years.
Of those, 851 fires were in informal settlements.
"Year on year, there was a 12% increase in overall incidents, including fires, rescues and other special-service calls, like motor vehicle accidents and trauma cases," said Mayco member for safety and security, JP Smith.
READ MORE | Western Cape records more than 6 400 wildfires in just two months
He said that there had, however, been a slight downturn in both informal and formal residential fires compared to the previous year.
Smith added that the City faces increased frequency and stages of load shedding, but also faces ongoing challenges, such as illegal electricity connections, human error or negligence, and an increase in incidents where bystanders interfere with firefighters.
"Structural fires remain a big concern," he said.
"Numerous City departments are involved in ongoing fire safety education and awareness initiatives, with hundreds of interventions each year. We urge residents to do as much as they can to mitigate the risk of fire in their homes or communities," said Smith.
