EMS says Alex blaze spread from shacks to recycling site
Emergency services responded to a large fire in Marlboro on Friday night, where residents evacuated after the blaze spread from informal dwellings to a nearby recycling site.
Johannesburg Emergency Services responded to a fire incident on Friday night in Marlboro, near 5th Avenue and Florence Moposho Street (commonly referred to as Vasco Da Gama Street) on the outskirts of Alexandra.
EMS spokesperson Nana Radebe-Kgiba said they received a call shortly before 11pm, and a team was dispatched to the area. “We did get a call last night around 22:52 and we responded to the call. The fire started where there were shacks, and it later spread to the recycling place,” she explained.
Read more: Emergency services respond to overnight blaze in Marlboro
While initial social media reports suggested multiple firms were affected, EMS has so far recorded damage to two structures. “For now in terms of what we can record it is that it is two structures, because it is like a shop but it has shacks inside. So, we are not even sure of how many people stay there because they are not even allowed to stay in such a dwelling. But they managed to get out,” said Radebe-Kgiba.
No injuries or fatalities were reported, and the cause of the fire remains undetermined.
This incident adds to a string of recent fire outbreaks in Alexandra. In May, a fire tore through a bond house on 16th Avenue between Florence Moposho Street and Joe Nhlanhla Street (commonly referred to as John Brand), displacing at least five families. A month before, in April, another incident left three families displaced after fire gutted five rooms on 14th Avenue and Joe Nhlanhla Street.
In response to the surge in winter fire incidents, Joburg EMS launched a Winter Fire Safety and Burns Prevention campaign in Alexandra on June 26, held at Marlboro Community Hall. The campaign highlighted risks associated with unattended heating, cooking appliances and illegal electrical connections.
EMS also hosted a two-day Basic Fire and First Aid training session at Alexandra Fire Station to educate residents on emergency prevention and response. They continue to encourage the public to visit EMS BeSafe Centres for access to safety training and resources.
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