A Somerset West informal settlement was ravaged by a fire yesterday morning, which took over an hour to extinguish.
Residents from the Donkerbos Informal Settlement in De Beers Avenue were running for their lives as the blaze swept through their homes just before 6am, leaving gutted shacks in its wake.
The City’s Fire and Rescue Services spokesperson, Jermaine Carelse, says 19 firefighters doused the flames which left 30 people destitute as seven structures burnt to the ground.
Fortunately, no one was injured in the fire.
“At approximately 5.50am on Monday, the City’s Fire and Rescue Service responded to informal structures alight in the Donkerbos Informal Settlement, De Beers Avenue, Somerset West,” says Carelse.
“Four firefighting appliances, a rescue vehicle and 19 staff members managed to contain and extinguish the fire just after 7am.”
He says the cause of the fire is undetermined at this stage and is being investigated by the relevant authorities.
“A number of structures was destroyed and all displaced persons were accounted for, with no injuries reported.
Meanwhile, according to Working on Fire (WoF), it’s estimated that 20807 hectares of land were burnt in the Western Cape in December of which 19000ha was reportedly in the Southern Cape.
Local Government, Environmental Affairs and Development Planning MEC Anton Bredell, said: “Every year the fire season seems to be getting worse. Conditions are still hazardous.”