Selflessness at Plastic View prevents fatalities as another fire breaks out
Another fire broke out at the informal settlement only this time the community came together to prevent it from spreading.
The selfless act of residents at the Plastic View informal settlement saved lives when yet another fire broke out on Saturday.
The fire broke out after 03:00, leaving 80 people homeless and three others injured.
“Three people were transported to Mamelodi Hospital with moderate injuries,” said Tshwane emergency services spokesperson Charles Mabaso.
“An assessment conducted after firefighters extinguished the fire determined that 18 shacks got burned and 65 people were affected as a result of the fire.”
It was initially reported that one person lost their live, but Mabaso said no fatality was reported.
This is a second fire to break out at the informal in three weeks.
About 100 shacks caught fire on July 17, displacing more than 500 people.
READ MORE: Plastic View hit by fire – again
This time around, the impact of the fire was lessened by community members coming together to prevent the spread by demolishing homes around the fire.
“They started to demolish the shacks around the fire and that prevented the fire from spreading. Only 15 shacks were burned down,” said SA Care for Life managing director Sanet Fagan.
“Every Tuesday night, we have a mentorship with the leaders, teaching them how to handle crises situations in the village, and fire is but one of the crisis they have to handle.
“We taught them that the main important thing is that you have to stop the fire in its tracks because they do not have the tools to do that.”
Fagan said this training came in handy when neighbours, with the help of community leaders, prevented what could have potentially affected hundreds of people.
She said this selfless act led to an additional 25 people being homeless, bringing the total of affected people to 80.
“It really is a selfless act to break your home down for the greater community and it really worked,” she said.
“All together, we have 80 people whose homes were affected. They have already started rebuilding their homes.”
In the meantime, the organisation is continuing with its relief programme to ensure the affected residents are housed, fed and kept warm.
Residents have been receiving warm meals and blankets and some have been housed at the local early childhood development centre.
“We are really short of clothing, we do not have any clothing for the families, especially for the men,” Fagan said.
“We are still in need of blankets and food.”
Fagan was grateful to see the community coming together in moments of crisis.
She said her organisation would continue its fire and crisis management training.
Mabaso said the exact cause of the fire was still being investigated.
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