Cape Town - Residential fires in Cape Town have accelerated by 20% over the past 12 months.
Because of them, 105 fatalities were recorded between January and June this year.
The City’s Fire and Rescue Service recorded 4 210 residential fires over the 2023/24 financial year, with formal residential fires increasing 27% annually, and informal residential fires by 15%, leading to the deaths of at least 220 people.
The City said most fires broke out between Saturdays and Mondays, when 80% of deaths occurred. Around 74% materialised between midnight and 6am, and 56% of victims were adult males.
Survivors said they are still struggling to replace what they had lost.
Nosiyabonga Malimke, a community activist from the Dunoon informal settlement of Thembini, said the fires made it difficult for residents to recover.
Last year, a devastating fire left hundreds of people from the informal settlement destitute.
“It destroys people’s homes, their belongings, and it disrupts their lives financially and is emotionally draining,” Malimke said.
“Some of the shacks are not built yet. They are still struggling with the budget, they budgeted for school and other stuff so they can’t afford to rebuild their shacks and I don’t know how long it will take,” he said.
Member for safety and security, JP Smith, said the increase in residential fires pointed to a need for more education, awareness and conversations about fire risks.
He said the City had worked to ensure it has a well-functioning Fire and Rescue Service that can respond effectively in the event of a fire.
Roscoe Jacobs, a community activist from Hout Bay, said the fires also left psychological impacts on people.
“One of the things that I have experienced when these things happen is that it affects people’s mental health and there isn’t a lot of focus on the impact that these fires have,” he said.
A family of 19 from Tafelsig is still trying to pick up the pieces after they lost everything when their house burnt down in June.
The fire was started by a 5-year-old who played with a lighter in the front room.
The resulting blaze destroyed their Kilimanjaro Street home, including a wendy house.
Laeeq Matthee, 34, one of the victims, said despite their continued need for donations following the destruction, they had recently constructed a tiny wendy house for some of the people who were sleeping in a car parked in their front yard.
He said the fire had taken away many things from them, but they were thankful there were no fatalities.
Smith added the statistics were not new, but they served as a stark reminder that many fires were the result of negligence and tied to alcohol abuse.
“These dangers have been highlighted time and again, but it bears repeating – if you are going to drink or use drugs, stay away from anything that is flammable, whether cooking or using candles for lighting, or even smoking a cigarette – especially in bed,” Smith said.
In case of an emergency, residents are urged to save the Public Emergency Communication Centre’s number on their cellphone, 021 480 7700.