Just in: Clairwood blaze destroys four homes

A fire broke out after a cigarette was accidentally dropped on a mat which caused flames to spread to nearby shacks.

May 12, 2025

Andile Sithole 1 minute read

eThekwini Fire and Rescue team worked tirelessly to extinguish the flames. Photos: Supplied

A DEVASTATING fire burnt down four shacks on the corner of Pine and Sastri Roads in Clairwood early this morning (May 12).

Also read: Man killed by truck in Clairwood, police investigate

Four families have been left homeless and destitute after the blaze destroyed their belongings. According to the information received from sources, a fire erupted from one of the houses on the corner of Pine Road and spread to nearby shacks.

It is alleged that two individuals were smoking in one of the shacks when the fire started. One of the men is said to have accidentally dropped a cigarette, igniting the mat and causing the flames to spread rapidly throughout the shack.

Metro police, Security Force and eThekwini Fire and Rescue teams at the scene.

Kival Singh of Security Force said their officers responded promptly to a call reporting a shack fire.

“Our response officers were advised that two vagrants had been inside the shack where the fire erupted. There were no injuries reported,” said Singh.

One of the four houses that was engulfed in flames in Clairwood.

eThekwini Fire Department responded and extinguished the fire before it could spread further to nearby houses.

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May 12, 2025

Andile Sithole 1 minute read

Andile Sithole

He has been covering a variety of news beats for over 10 years. As a journalist working for community newspapers, he has covered politics, court reporting, municipal stories, crime, and news features over the years. Andile is also a multimedia journalist for Southlands Sun. He started his career in journalism as a freelance reporter in 2005 while studying Communication Science at UNISA. Prior to joining Caxton Newspapers, he worked for both community and commercial newspapers in Durban, where he won the Journalist of the Year Award in 2020 and 2021.