Cape Town - A fire in the Kosovo informal settlement in Philippi has displaced over 100 people after destroying over 40 structures.

The City’s Fire and Rescue Services spokesperson, Jermaine Carelse, said an emergency call was received around 1.55am on Saturday.

Carelse said crews from Gugulethu, Mitchell’s Plain, Lansdowne, Epping and Wynberg were on scene and firefighters extinguished the blaze by 6.15am.

No injuries were reported and the cause of the fire is undetermined, he said.

Disaster Risk Management spokesperson, Charlotte Powell, said the Disaster Risk Management Centre (DRMC) completed its assessment on Saturday.

The fire had destroyed 42 structures, affecting 122 people, said Powell.

“The DRMC has notified Sassa and the national Department of Human Settlements. In the interim, Gift of the Givers is providing humanitarian relief.

“The DRMC has also activated the City’s Informal Settlements Management and Solid Waste Departments to assist with clearing the fire site, and the affected residents.”

Disaster relief organisation, Gift of the Givers, was on site yesterday to deliver much-needed humanitarian relief.

Project manager, Ali Sablay, said the fire was the fifth fire at an informal settlement in the Western Cape in the past five days.

“Our teams are currently still assisting the fire victims of Chester Williams informal settlement in Paarl, Electricity informal settlement in Mfuleni, and

Ezolweni and Sihlala informal settlements in Dunoon.

“We have brought in additional stocks from our warehouses in KZN and Gauteng in preparation for the fire season in the Western Cape.

“Our teams went to do the assessment and are still busy providing hot meals at all the fire sites that we’ve been involved in. The first day we delivered blankets, water, personal hygiene care packs, and baby care items.”

Community activist, Bulelani Mlungisi, said: “I received a call from the resident telling me about the fire. According to the resident, the cause of the fire was a fight between two guys. Later one guy torched the house of the other one, that is how the fire started. This fire affected about 50 families. It is very bad at this time of year as some families are already in the Eastern Cape. The situation is bad.”

shakirah.thebus@inl.co.za

Cape Argus