Cape Town Fire says their tally of shacks that have been gutted in the Joe Slovo informal settlement in Langa on the Cape flats has doubled. Early estimates put the figure at 200.
However, Cape Town Fire spokesperson Deon Smit says about 400 shacks have been burnt, at least 1600 people left destitute. No injuries and fatalities were reported. Disaster Management officials have been deployed to the area to assess fire victims' humanitarian needs.
Meanwhile the gale force South Easter which affected participants in the Cape Argus Pick'n Pay Cycle Tour in Cape Town has not had much effect on efforts to battle a blaze in the Boland town of Paarl. Deputy Fire Chief in the Drakenstein municipality, Dereck Peceur, says the fire is under control, although they are monitoring hotspots.
Fresh fire-fighting teams have however been deployed to Jonkershoek in the Boland to battle a blaze which has been raging on and off for the past month.
The fire has destroyed thousands of hectares of fynbos. Spokesperson for the Boland fire department, Ian Ross, says they've been working throughout the night to stop the fire line from spreading. He says hot and windy weather conditions are hampering their efforts to put out the blaze. - SABC
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