One person died and another was hospitalised with wounds while a family along with six others were displaced following two separate fires in the Helderberg.
The City of Cape Town’s Fire and Rescue Services were called to action for a fatal shack fire in Nomzamo on Sunday and a raging blaze which left a Gordon’s Bay home extensively damaged last Wednesday (10 August).
According to Jermaine Carelse, spokesperson for Fire and Rescue Services, firefighters responded to an emergency call of a fire at informal structures in Wag-’n-Bietjie informal settlement near Ndzuzo Street around 02:50 on Sunday. Crews from Strand, Sir Lowry’s Pass and Somerset West were dispatched with three fire engines, a water tanker and rescue vehicle.
“A single structure was destroyed, leaving six persons displaced,” said Carelse. “One adult man sustained fatal burn wounds and a woman sustained second degree burn wounds to the face, neck, hands and legs. She was taken hospital for further treatment.”
Firefighters also attended to a fire at a house in Boundary Road, Gordon’s Bay around 15:00 last Wednesday.
The family inside, however, had been unaware of the fire, which a local security company had alerted them to.
Authorities responded quickly and cordoned off the street.
Carelse said altogether 19 firefighters from Strand, Sir Lowry’s Pass and Somerset West responded to the call.
“The fire was extinguished at 16:23. No injuries were reported and six people were displaced,” he said.
“The car port, including a motor vehicle parked there and the kitchen were severely affected by the fire and the remainder of the dwelling sustained smoke and water damages. The contents of the garage which was converted into a flatlet and kitchen were totally destroyed.”
The homeowner could not be reached for comment.
In both instances the cause of the fires has not been determined.
