Five Kwezi Street homes in flames leaves 10 displaced in Lwandle

Residents scrambled with buckets of water as flames engulfed homes in Kwezi Street, Lwandle, on Thursday 11 December, displacing 10 people.

Edward Bosch, spokesperson for the City of Cape Town’s Fire and Rescue Service, said an emergency call was received at 10:18, reporting a blaze at the corner of Broadlands and Albertyn roads in Strand. However, firefighters found the fire was actually in Kwezi Street, Lwandle.

Three firefighting resources from Strand and Macassar fire stations responded to the scene, where informal structures were engulfed in flames.

When DistrictMail & Helderberg Gazette arrived, residents were still assisting firefighters. Some were even standing on top of burning structures, attempting to extinguish the flames as crowds of onlookers gathered.

“Five structures were destroyed by the fire and two formal dwellings were partially damaged,” Bosch said. Ten people were displaced and all residents were accounted for, as no injuries or fatalities were reported.

With the help of the community, fire crews extinguished the blaze by 12:15.

The cause of the fire remains unknown and damage estimates are not yet available.