Collection started for families affected by devastating Blackburn Village fire
A total of 89 homes were destroyed by the fire which has left several families homeless.
WARD 35 Councillor Nicole Bollman has urged residents to support a collection started for victims of a shack fire which ripped through a section of the Blackburn Village Informal Settlement on Sunday morning.
A total of 89 homes were destroyed by the fire which has left several families homeless.
Through the Greater Together Foundation (GTF) a collection for blankets, clothes and other amenities has been started in the hopes of helping those in need.
“It is unclear how the fire started, but I received the call just after 01:00 on Sunday morning from one of the affected residents. Unfortunately, this is the same section of the settlement that was affected by a devastating fire a few years ago. The response from the fire department was quick, and they managed to prevent the blaze from spreading and destroying more homes,” Bollman said.
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“Of the families affected, 20 of them have young babies. I’m grateful to the Greater Together Foundation who, within hours of seeing the news, organised various hampers which were donated to the affected families. Sadly, all of the victims escaped with just the clothes on their backs, and if anyone is willing to help, we have started a collection. Donations can be dropped off at the GTF on 20 Mackeurtan Avenue, Durban North or at Eastmans SPAR on Ashley Avenue,” she said.
Durban Fire Department Divisional Commander Jesse Yasudas said firefighters battled the blaze for around four hours to bring it under control.
“Thankfully, there were no fatalities. This section of the settlement wasn’t easily accessible, and the wind made the job of extinguishing the flames challenging. Two fire trucks and three water tankers were employed in response to the scene, and within four hours, we managed to put out the fire and stop it from spreading. At the time, we estimated that between 100 and 150 homes had burnt down, but that number has now been revised to 89,” he said.
