A firefighter sustained injuries while dousing a fire at the Overcome Heights informal settlement on Wednesday 26 January.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The City\u2019s fire and rescue spokesperson Jermaine Carelse said services were dispatched to the scene in the morning. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThe City\u2019s Fire and Rescue Service was dispatched at 06:19 to structures alight in Overcome Heights. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cFire crews from Lakeside, Wynberg, Ottery, Gugulethu, Constantia, Fish Hoek, Lansdowne, Mitchell\u2019s Plain and Epping fire stations attended to the scene.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He added that a total of eight firefighting appliances and 40 firefighters battled the blaze. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cSeveral informal structures were destroyed. One firefighter sustained injuries and was taken to hospital. The fire was extinguished at 08:47,\u201d said Carelse.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Meanwhile the City\u2019s disaster risk management department and fire and rescue service initiated a public education and awareness campaign after an increase in informal settlement fires in the last few months.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In a statement, the City\u2019s Mayco member for safety and security Alderman JP Smith said the campaign was to improve residents\u2019 preparedness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThe campaign is not only to educate communities in high risk areas on the causes of fires, but is also aimed at improving residents\u2019 awareness and preparedness for fires.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He added that the City\u2019s firefighters responded to 531 fires in informal settlements from Monday 1 November last year to Monday 3 January, compared to 485 for the corresponding period in 2020\/2021.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cEvery fire is devastating no matter the extent of the damage to property, more so when lives and livelihoods are lost. Some communities are at higher risk and more vulnerable than others.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Door-to-door education and awareness will be conducted at high risk informal settlements.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWe have planned interventions for the next few weeks that will reach the 20 top high risk informal settlements. The education and awareness will be done door-to-door, but our staff will also visit day hospitals, clinics, libraries and do poster drop offs at schools, public transport interchanges and other community hubs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u2018We\u2019re doing everything we can to protect vulnerable communities from the devastation caused by fires. I encourage residents to take heed of the safety messages and implement them. It may never be needed, but it is best to be prepared,\u201d said Smith.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
A firefighter sustained injuries while dousing a fire at the Overcome Heights informal settlement on Wednesday 26 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