CAPE TOWN – Altogether 16 homes were destroyed in a fire that swept through Overcome Heights on Tuesday 17 February, displacing 36 families including children, though no injuries or deaths were reported.
The City’s Fire and Rescue Service received the emergency call at 10:08 and successfully contained the blaze by 11:20.
Fire service spokesperson Gerard Langenhoven confirmed that no cause has yet been determined for the incident.
Community Relief Response
To provide some relief for the affected families, Ward 45 councillor Mandy Marr helped coordinated relief efforts for displaced families.
“We often get help from Living Hope and Gift of the Givers. I get donations for children from ThulaBaba and the South African Social Security Agency (SASSA), provided the mattresses,” Marr explained.
ThulaBaba is a South African non-profit organisation (NPO) based in Cape Town that focuses on supporting under-resourced mothers on the Cape Flats and surrounding areas.
Candice Thomas, media liaison for Living Hope, confirmed the organisation has responded to 38 displaced persons, including 16 children. “We have delivered hygiene packs and ingredients for two suppers and breakfast,” Thomas said,
Living Hope, are a multi-faceted organisation that mobilises hundreds of volunteers per year to serve locals through responsive programmes in under-resourced, under-served communities.
Ongoing Support Systems
Marr noted that established support networks ensure consistent aid delivery. “I have donations of clothing all the time which go to the victims. The organisation, Where Rainbows Meet, has a clothing bank,” she said.
Similar Incidents
This fire follows a devastating incident last October when approximately 150 families were displaced after 45 shacks were destroyed in Overcome Heights.
The community continues to face challenges with informal settlement fires. Officials are awaiting the Disaster Risk Management fire report to determine the cause and prevent future incidents in the densely populated informal settlement.
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