The city’s emergency management services spokesperson, Robert Mulaudzi said as winter sets in a lot of people in informal settlements have fire-related incidents.
He said, “The member of Mayoral Committee for Public Safety, councillor Sello Lemao and the Head of Public Safety in the City of Joburg, Hlula Msimang officially launched the winter safety campaign. The aim of the campaign is to reduce fire related incidents in informal settlements.
“Johannesburg is prone to fires, mostly due to a high number of informal settlements such as Diepsloot, Zandspruit, Ivory Park, Kya Sand and Princess. These Midrand areas are also places where the city has recorded the highest number of fire-related calls,” he said.
“Through the campaign 300 people from the Kya Sand community received smoke detectors and 300 candle safety jars. The detectors will assist the community as an early warning system for evacuation purposes before a fire breaks out,” he said.
Ward 93 councillor Annette Deppe said she is also concerned about the outbreak of fires. She said, “As winter begins a high number of veld fire incidents and informal settlements burning down will occur. I would like to encourage residents to exercise caution to reduce such incidents so that they are not displaced by fires and lose property in winter.
“I would like to ask churches and companies to collect clothing and blankets so that they are available when councillors have to intervene in communities where shacks have been burnt down accidentally by fires,” councillor Deppe said.
Like us on Facebook, follow us on twitter – @MidrandReporter, or join the conversation on BBM: 2B9432E6
