ABOUT 20 people are displaced after a shack fire broke out, destroying valuable belongings in Diepsloot Extension 1, north of Johannesburg.
The City of Johannesburg Emergency Management Services Firefighters, said it responded to a multiple shacks on fire reported this morning at around 10.30am..
This week alone, the EMS attended to other fire incidents in the CBD and Soweto.
City of Johannesburg Emergency Management Services spokesperson Robert Mulaudzi confirmed that about eight shacks were affected by this fire incident which left about 20 people displaced, he said no further injuries or fatalities were reported and the cause of the fire incident is still a subject of investigations.
Mulaudzi said disaster Management officials have been activated to start assisting the affected families, and our Fire Safety Unit will also be conducting preliminary investigations to determine what might be the cause of this fire incident.
“Residents are encouraged to continue to look after any heating devices which might cause fires at home and not to leave them unattended to prevent fire incidents like this one,” said Mulaudzi.
On Tuesday, EMS firefighters responded to a building on fire at the corners of Marshall and Phillip in the Johannesburg inner city.
He said on arrival, firefighters found a four storey building engulfed in flames and started evacuating the affected people on the fourth floor while conducting firefighting operations.
About 200 people were safely evacuated safely from the building. No other injuries were reported during this fire incident, and the cause of the fire incident is still a subject of investigations.
Mulaudzi said that fire incident followed a fire incident, which was reported in early hours that morning in Doornkop, Soweto, where a 26 year old man lost his life when his one room Shack caught fire.
He said during search and rescue operation, firefighters recovered a body of a 26 year old man. He succumbed to smoke inhalation he was confirmed dead on scene, no other injuries were reported during this fire incident, and the cause of the fire incident is still a subject of investigations.
Mulaudzi said EMS have already recorded a number of fire incidents this winter, where lives were lost.
As part of their efforts to reduce fire incidents and fatalities this winter, the City of Johannesburg Emergency Management Services Public Education Unit (Pier) will be conducting Door to Door Campaigns at different regions of the city.
“Residents are urged to exercise caution when using heating devices this winter season. Pier is also continuing with its efforts to educate our residents about the importance of using heating devices safely this winter season,” said Mulaudzi.