The City of Ekurhuleni’s Emergency Services attended to a fire at Makausi informal settlement that affected multiple shacks and took the life of a 33-year-old man.
Lives were at risk as a few people were trapped in the raging fire that was spreading rapidly.
According to Emergency Services spokesperson William Ntladi, fire engines from Primrose, Bedfordview and Edenvale were dispatched to the scenes.
“On arrival access was a challenge due to the size of roads which are indirectly proportional to the size of the fire engines. Crews could only articulate vehicles into the sport ground. From there, lengths of fire hoses were laid to the fire site,” said Ntladi.
Ntladi said despite the challenges faces the firefighters managed to contain the fire,
“The flames were spreading at an alarming rate fuelled by the wind. Due to the length of hoses laid, the pressure couldn’t be maximized, however, due to the knowledge and experience from seasoned firefighters, blazes were contained and extinguished,” he said.
He said after the fire had been put out, a charred body of an adult man was discovered under the remains of the structures.
