Disaster Risk Management officials are conducting an assessment to determine the extent of damage following a fire that occurred overnight in Imizamo Yethu. The fire was reported at around midnight on Christmas night.

No fatalities were reported, and the fire gutted approximately fifty structures, leaving around 80 residents of the Petersen Section of IY homeless.

The City’s assessment will aim to confirm the exact number of structures and persons affected for onward submission to SASSA and the Department of Social Development.

Other City Departments have also been activated to check whether there has been any damage to City infrastructure, clear fire debris and coordinate efforts to help the affected residents rebuild their structures.

Humanitarian relief partners, including Gift of the Givers, are on scene to deliver immediate assistance to those in need.

Ward Councillor Rob Quintas has thanked the various fire services and City law enforcement agencies who were present to rapidly extinguish the blaze and maintain order.

This, he says, ensured that the fire was addressed before it could reach a magnitude similar to previous incidents.

“My thoughts and prayers are with those who have experienced trauma and loss over this tragic event on Christmas night, and I thank the many service men and women who will now step in to restore, repair and assist.”

The cause of the blaze has not yet been determined, and more details will be provided as they are received.

Quintas has encouraged all residents to be cautious and vigilant when using fire in residential or public environments.

“This season is unfortunately synonymous with fire incidents in homes and nature settings and the first step to fire prevention begins with awareness and personal safety responsibility.”

Meanwhile, Gift of the Givers teams have also been activated at the Mbekweni Informal Settlement in Paarl, where a second fire in less than a week erupted.

In addition, Gift of the Givers teams also responded to a fire in Vygieskraal, Manenberg, where backyard dwelling structures were alight.

*This article was updated to reflect that 80 people have been affected in the Imizamo Yethu fire, as per City assessments.