Langa informal settlement fire leaves 450 people displaced

The City’s Fire & Rescue Service responded to numerous calls after 20:15 on Thursday night, of informal structures alight just off Winnie Mandela Street in Langa.

In order to contain the blaze several fire crews from various fire stations were activated and around 19 frontline fire resources and a total of 80 staff were on scene, including the Incident Management Team.

According to fire and rescue spokesperson Jermaine Carelse, the fire area was divided into three divisions in order to maximise the resources on scene and to mitigate further damages.

“By 02:30, firefighters managed to extinguish the fire.”

Carelse added that initial estimates indicated that around 150 structures were destroyed and about 450 persons were displaced. However, Disaster Risk Management will make an assessment to ascertain the exact numbers.

No injuries or fatalities were reported were reported in the blaze.

🟡The City of Cape Town’s fire and rescue services have confirmed that no injuries or fatalities were reported in last night’s devastating fire in Langa. The fire broke out just off Winnie Mandela Street. Around 150 structures were destroyed and about 450 persons were displaced. pic.twitter.com/dqAosvJjOj

— Smile90.4 FM (@Smile904FM) December 27, 2024

Humanitarian relief organisation, Gift of the Givers, has confirmed that its teams are on site providing humanitarian aid to the affected families. According to spokesperson Ali Sablay, hundreds of structures were alight and last night’s south-easterly wind further exacerbated the fire.

According to Sablay, this is the 11th fire in 9 days for the Gift of the Givers team members

“Community members are in a state of panic, the emotions are very high as people try to grab whatever they can as the fire engulfs their structures” added Sablay

The City’s Disaster Risk Management Centre (DRMC) will conduct a formal assessment on Friday to verify the number of structures destroyed and persons affected.

According to the City, the outcomes of the assessment will be submitted to SASSA and the National Department of Human Settlements, for relief efforts. DRMC will also activate and engage with various City Departments to clear the site and assist with any additional recovery efforts.