When Sizakele Baba received a phone call during his night shift that shacks were on fire, he had hope he would make it home in time to save some belongings.

Unfortunately, like many other Masiphumelele residents, all his possessions burned to ashes early Monday morning, just two days before Christmas.

“I rushed to my area from work because I thought maybe the flames were still far. The fire had already reached my home and it was up in flames. It’s truly devastating to watch your hard-earned possessions burn.

“All the Christmas groceries and clothes people bought have been burned and we are left with what we are currently wearing. Our neighbours went to the Eastern Cape and other provinces for holidays. They will come back to the devastating news,” he said.

About 82 structures were affected, while 450 persons have been displaced.

One person sustained injuries, while the SPCA and TEARS had to attend to an injured dog.

More than 70 staff members from various fire stations responded to the scene.

The registration of all affected persons is still ongoing between the City’s Disaster Management and Informal Settlements Management Department.

Gift of the Givers project manager Ali Sablay said this was the biggest fire they had responded to since the start of December.

“In the past six days we responded to six informal settlement fires. There has been a total of 13 fires since December 1, so we have been extremely busy.

Areas that have been recently affected include Paarl East, Mfuleni, Dunoon, Kosovo in Philippi. We will continue to be at the sites as long as we’re needed,” said Sablay.

Disaster management spokesperson Sonica Lategan said their centre continues to co-ordinate the response to the fire.

“A meeting was held with all stakeholders earlier, at the DRMC mobile Joint Operation Centre in the area. In terms of City infrastructure, six toilets and electrical infrastructure were damaged.

“Electricity in the surrounding areas has been reconnected, while the fire site had been secured,” said Lategan. The Solid Waste Department is expected to start with mop-up operations this morning.

Lategan said the National Human Settlements Department is expected to provide building materials and the provincial Department of Social Development committed to providing psychosocial support to those in need.

Humanitarian organisations including Gift of the Givers, Living Hope and Islamic Relief have also heeded the call to assist residents and are expected to provide hot meals for seven days.

They will also provide blankets, mattresses, clothing, baby packs, school uniforms and stationery. Safety and security Mayco member JP Smith said a total of 14 firefighting appliances were put to work, as the fire spread rapidly between structures in the densely populated area.

“Over 70 firefighters battled the blaze, main hose lines were run deep into the informal settlement. Through the panic and at the desperation of losing their belongings, some residents attempted to cut the water hoses in their effort to instead divert the water feed to their individual residence.

“Law Enforcement was summoned to the scene to assist in safeguarding the water supply. It is sad to comprehend the outcome of such a tragedy, and worse still at this time of the year,” Smith said.

Cape Times