76 homes gutted in three separate fire incidents
|Published
Cape Town - More than 100 people were displaced after a man allegedly started a fire to burn copper.
The community of Overcome Heights were trying to rebuild their homes yesterday after 44 shacks were razed by the inferno on Monday around 2pm.
Ashley Pretorious said he was not at home when his friend gained access and started the fire.
“I went to withdraw money and my children were at school. When I returned I saw there was a fire and that my shack was burned to the ground. I was told that my friend started the fire.
“I went to look for him and his girlfriend said he was on the run. He has ruined things for me because now my neighbours are angry at me and they don’t want me to rebuild my home and I have nowhere else to go.”
A community member, William Lewis, said he had lost everything in the fire.
“The person who started the fire didn’t think about us.
“We are now forced to use the old iron sheets to rebuild because the City doesn’t give out the starter kits. The government is always quiet when we get incidents like this but when it’s election time they know where to find us.”
The Gift of the Givers teams did the assessments in Overcome Heights, and Vrygrond, where a fire gutted a number of structures.
Project manager Ali Sablay said: “We will be assisting the affected families with hot meals, blankets, toiletry packs, baby care packs and mattresses.
“Our teams have been on the ground since last Monday in the Cape Winelands District,assisting the firefighters with energy bars and drinks.
“We have also assisted the displaced families with blankets, toiletry packs, water and bulk food.”
Disaster risk manager Charlotte Powell said there were other areas fire and rescue services were called to extinguish the fire.
“Initial indications are that approximately 40 structures were affected, leaving 150 displaced in Overcome Heights.”
mandilakhe.tshwete@inl.co.za