Six people have been injured in a fire in Paarl. According to a spokesperson for the Drakenstein Municipality, Riana Geldenhuys, two firefighters and a young girl are among the injured. They were on the scene of a fire that started last night in an informal settlement between Jan Fiskaal and Piet-my-vrou Streets in Paarl East.
Six people have been injured in a fire in Paarl
Geldenhuys says one of the firemen twisted his ankle, while the other one injured his right hand due to an alleged stone-throwing incident at the site of the blaze. She says two women suffered from smoke inhalation. At the same time, a man cut his hand and a young girl suffered from shock.
Two firefighters injured
It is reported that the fire personnel from Drakenstein Municipality’s Fire and Rescue Services were on the scene six minutes after they received a call about a fire. The blaze was extinguished before 10 p.m. Geldenhuys says eight structures burned down, two of which were destroyed.
Stone throwing in the community
She says another two structures were broken down by members of the community.
She added, “Due to the pressure of the community and to safeguard them, the Municipality’s firefighting vehicles and crew had to be withdrawn at one stage when the community started throwing stones at them.”
Geldenhuys says they had to wait in a holding area so they could escorted to the scene of the fire by the South African Police Service (SAPS) and the Municipality’s Law Enforcement division.
“The SAPS and POPS (Public Order Police) remained at the scene to ensure all participating agencies’ safety and to provide backup if needed,” Geldenhuys concluded.
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She says that people who wish to donate non-perishable items for those affected by the fire may do so by dropping them off at the Paarl Fire Station on Berg River Boulevard during office hours.
