A nine-months pregnant woman says she will have to start from scratch buying baby clothes after a fire destroyed her house.
Four homes were damaged while two Wendy houses and a double-storey house were completely gutted when a blaze ripped through Pecos Walk in Manenberg on Tuesday morning.
A total of 31 people have been affected, with 13 left destitute.
One man, soon-to-be dad Sandile Stampu, 44, was hospitalised after suffering serious burn wounds.
According to residents, the fire might have been caused by a burning candle.
However, the City of Cape Town’s Fire and Rescue Services says the cause is still being investigated.
Residents at 3B Pecos Walk say the fire started in a Wendy house just before 8am, which they managed to douse.
They returned to bed, only to wake up surrounded by flames and Sandile shouted that the house was on fire again.
Sandile’s pregnant girlfriend, Nicolette Petersen, 34, who is due any moment, says they lost alles.
“By the time fire people arrived, my house was gone. I have nothing, not even a pair of socks,” she says.
“Sandile is in hospital and burnt badly, but we escaped with our lives. My sister and I have valse tanne; we even lost that in the fire.”
Her sister, Bronwyn Jones, 30, says she woke up coughing from smoke inhalation.
“When I opened the door, the flames were already at my door. I ran out and screamed at my husband through the window to come with our four-year-old. It was so frightening,” says Bronwyn.
DEVASTATION: Fire ripped through homes in Pecos Walk. CREDIT: Bheki Radebe
Mayoral Committee Member for Area Central, Councillor Siyabulela Mamkeli, says the Disaster Risk Management Centre provided humanitarian relief in the form of food parcels, blankets and toiletries for the victims.
“The department has arranged for a container as temporary accommodation for the family that was living in the formal structure,” he says.
He said water would be restored by today, “however, the electricity will take a little longer to be restored as the wiring will have to be redone due to the damage caused by the fire”.