City assisting victims following major fire in BM Section, Khayelitsha

The City of Cape Town is still working hard to assist residents following a devastating fire which spread through BM Section in Khayelitsha at 04:45 yesterday, 1 January 2013.

A large contingent of public safety agencies from the City's Disaster Risk Management, Emergency Medical Services, Fire and Rescue Services, Metro Police, Law Enforcement, and Traffic Services sections as well as Provincial Traffic Services worked together to manage the incident and bring the fire under control. Extinguishing the fire proved challenging, with 17 vehicles at the scene yesterday, as the gusting winds fueled its spread. City and Provincial Traffic Services implemented road closures on the N2 in both directions as the thick smoke affected the free-flow of traffic, endangering motorists' safety.

The service of a helicopter was employed at first light yesterday morning, 1 January 2013, to assist in containing the rapidly spreading fire. The aerial firefighting efforts successfully contained the fire and the helicopter was able to stand down at 10:30, with fire emergency vehicles on scene to assist with possible flare-ups. 

Tragically three men died as a result of the fire. Another man sustained serious burn wounds and was transported to hospital for treatment. The blaze damaged over 800 structures, displacing more than 3 000 people.

As part of the City's on-going commitment to building a Caring City, City staff have distributed reconstruction starter kits and have stayed on site to help residents clear the area and rebuild their homes. In addition, the City's Disaster Response teams provided victims with food parcels, blankets, baby packs, clothing and building material; as well as trauma counselling. The South African Social Security Agency is also assisting the City with the provision of social relief for the fire victims. The City has made arrangements with the Department of Home Affairs to provide the fire victims with temporary Identity Documents.

The cause of the fires has not been established, however it is alleged that it was caused by negligence due to persons being under the influence of alcohol. The City urges residents to be cautious when using fire in the area.

The City's Mayoral Committee Member for Safety and Security, Alderman J.P. Smith and Mayoral Committee Member for Human Settlements, Councillor Ernest Sonnenberg, visited BM Section at 12:00 today (Wednesday, 2 January) to assess continued disaster relief efforts.

The City's upgrade initiatives in BM Section

The City has been communicating with the community of BM section about an in-situ upgrade project for the area and there have been numerous engagements over a long period of time. Any suggestions that the City has not been active in the community to ensure that it is upgraded in a caring and dignified manner are completely untrue. BM Section is one of five City pilot projects, which will see social, safety and service upgrades as part of an in situ development approach. The ultimate aim is to provide security of tenure and service to the residents. The City has been negotiating with the various landowners concerned to purchase land. The institutional setup, election of the community leadership, and a baseline survey have already been completed, and the development of a local strategy (a Community Action Plan) is currently in progress.

In the longer-term, the City's Human Settlements Directorate is finalising plans to rebuild and upgrade BM Section. The City's Informal Settlements Department is currently working with the community to improve fire and flood mitigation and to build an access track for electricity - for those who do not already have access. The City's Mayoral Committee Member for Human Settlements, Councillor Ernest Sonnenberg, also visited the area yesterday to assess relief efforts.

At this point, the biggest challenge in the area is density and the City has been meeting with residents regularly to try and resolve this and explore possible relocations. Unfortunately there has been resistance from some members of the community to these relocations, which has delayed the process, but the City is committed to upgrading this site. The City advises residents to build their structures at least three metres apart, but unfortunately this is not always adhered to - making it very difficult for firefighting vehicles to gain access when attempting to extinguish a fire.

Donations are welcome

The City has received requests from members of the public who would like to contribute to the disaster relief operations following fires across the city. Anyone who would like to make a donation-in-kind should please contact the City's Disaster Risk Management Centre on 080 911 HELP (4357). The following goods are essential supplies that can assist the victims of fires:

* emergency food rations

* fresh or tinned food

* wood

* paraffin

* blankets

* assistance with the transportation of donated goods

Anyone who would like to make a monetary donation should please make a deposit into the following bank account:

Statement issued by the City of Cape Town, January 2 2012

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