400 left homeless after fire rips through Paarl informal settlement

A fire in Paarl, Western Cape, has left 400 people homeless after it gutted 100 informal homes in the Drommedaris Informal Settlement in Mbekweni.

Firefighters in the Cape Winelands have battling to contain fires for the past few days.

On Friday, 60 firefighters, eight firefighting vehicles and two helicopters were trying to put out blazes on the slopes of the Paarlberg, according to News24.

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Humanitarian organisation Gift of the Givers said community members and Drakenstein Disaster Management asked them to help with the “devastating fire” at the Drommedaris Informal Settlement.

“There was no Christmas last year as [South Africa was] ravaged by an aggressive second wave of Covid-19 with deaths running into the hundreds. It seems that the residents of the Drommedaris Informal Settlement in Mbekweni, Paarl, are going to be deprived of Christmas yet again,” said Gift of the Givers.

The organisation said it would be delivering hot meals, blankets, mattresses, water and hygiene packs to the victims on Sunday “in an attempt to bring some hope in the gloom and despair”.

SABC reports that firefighters spent Saturday night monitoring two fires that broke out in Ceres.

The Cape Winelands District Municipality Spokesperson, Anesca Roodt, told the public broadcaster that both fires were contained.

“The first [fire] was situated above the Pine Forest Caravan Park formerly known as Dennebos and the other on Agtertuin Farm on Eselfontein Road. Fire and ground teams were on the scene. Aerial resources were deployed and both fires have been contained,” said Roodt.

“No threat to infrastructure was reported. Two ground teams will remain at the scene above the Pine Forest Caravan Park for monitoring and mopping up operations,” she added.

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