Cape Town Urges Residents To Exercise Caution With Open Flames As Summer Arrives

The City of Cape Town on Monday urged residents to be careful with open flames, like fires and candles as summer approaches. This warning comes after firefighters battled 48 fires in informal structures, resulting in nine deaths over the weekend.

In the first incident, four people including three children suffered fatal burn injuries on Manuel Street in Wallacedene early Saturday morning. At 4:40 AM, firefighters found the bodies of a man and woman after putting out a fire on Bida Crescent in Victoria Mxenge.

Around 4:50 PM, firefighters responded to a fire in a wendy house in Epping Forest, where they found the body of a minor under the debris. On Sunday after midnight, an emergency call reported structures on fire near Chris Hani High School in Khayelitsha.

The city's Mayoral Committee Member for Safety and Security JP Smith said, "The fire was extinguished by 01:45 am. Two adults, genders unknown, sustained fatal burn wounds. All these incidents were handed over to the South African Police Service for further investigation," SA News reported.

Smith further said that illegal land occupation creates several challenges for the city including how quickly emergency services can respond to incidents. He explained that while their officers arrive at the scene soon, they face obstacles like access issues.

The mayoral committee member emphasized that current laws need urgent changes to prevent more land invasions, which increase fire risks. He mentioned that all these incidents have been reported to the South African Police Service for further investigation.

He also expressed his condolences to the families affected, saying that fires are devastating and traumatic for everyone involved.

Earlier this year, hundreds of families in Cape Town faced hard times as fires broke at multiple informal settlements, leaving two dead and more than 700 people homeless. Throughout the night, the City of Cape Town's Fire and Rescue Services stayed occupied in controlling the fire.