Ten homes were gutted in a fire at an informal settlement in Canelands, KZN on Monday morning.

According to Reaction Unit South Africa (Rusa), they arrived to find several wood and iron homes on fire.

“Most of the homes were locked. Officers used bolt cutters to gain entry and remove the contents and Rusa members and residents used buckets of water to douse the flames,” read the statement.

Rusa added that illegal electricity connections are suspected to be the cause of the fire but this is yet to be confirmed.

Another fire

Meanwhile, in a separate incident, several homes were destroyed after a fire ravaged an informal area on Old North Coast Road in Avoca, KZN on Sunday morning.

“The Ethekwini Fire and Emergency Services were battling the blaze that was spreading rapidly, while Rusa officers assisted residents to salvage valuables from their homes,” said Rusa in a statement.

They added that the circumstances leading up to this fire were not established.