EMS is calling on all its residents to keep warm but safe this winter
Residents are being urged to exercise caution when using space heaters and other heating sources during winter and to take other safety precautions as well.
A shack was destroyed in a blazing fire in the early hours of Tuesday in Freedom Park squatter camp in Mamelodi East.
The owner of the shack, Njabulo Lepamo (28) said he was working the night shift when his shack caught fire.
He said he received a call from his father, who is also his neighbour, about his shack catching fire.
“Luckily, no one was injured, and the community members helped put out the fire,” said Lepamo.
Despite attempts made by neighbours to put out the fire with buckets, everything he owned was destroyed in the fire.
Lepamo said he does not know the cause of the fire but believes everything was switched off inside the shack when it started.
He suspects someone set his shack alight because this is not the first time it has been on fire.
Luckily, the fire was quickly put out.
“Neighbours rushed to help put out the fire, but the fire had spread, and everything inside the shack, from clothes to furniture to electric appliances, perished in the blazing fire.”
The incident resulted in Tshwane Emergency Services warning residents to remain cautious this winter when using heating equipment.
Spokesperson Zwelithini Mnguni said Emergency Services is calling on all residents to keep warm but be safe this winter.
Mguni urged residents to observe these safety precautions:
– If there is any fire danger exposure to dwellings, like shacks or houses, vegetation, or veld fires, dial the toll-free number 107 for emergencies.
– Burning charcoal gives off deadly amounts of carbon monoxide, so do not leave it burning in the house when sleeping.
– Never use fuels that are not designed for your heating unit.
– Improper use of space heaters (izimbawula, braziers, electric, gas, and paraffin heaters, among others) should be avoided.
Unapproved controlled burning must never be carried out (no controlled burning will be approved during this period).
Mnguni also warned people that the drop in temperature around the country, including Tshwane, as forecast by the South African Weather Service (SAWS), is making itself felt.
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