Firefighters assist residents through the wreckage after a devastating blaze tore through Site 5 in Dunoon, destroying hundreds of homes and displacing thousands. The fire that tore through Site 5 in Dunoon is believed to be the largest informal settlement blaze in the Western Cape since the Khayelitsha fire of 2013, according to Imtiaz Sooliman, founder of Gift of the Givers, as thousands of residents remain displaced and emergency relief continues. More than 1 000 dwellings were completely destroyed when the fast-moving fire swept through the settlement on Friday, leaving an estimated 5 500 people homeless.
Strong winds fuelled the blaze, forcing firefighters to deploy two helicopters for aerial water-bombing before it was extinguished at about 7pm. Sooliman said the scale of destruction was overwhelming. “This is probably the largest informal settlement fire in the WC since the Khayelitsha fire of 2013,” he said.
“In excess of 1 000 dwellings were totally obliterated. Alas 5 500 of our fellow compatriots became refugees in their own space,” Sooliman said. Disaster Risk Management Centre spokesperson Charlotte Powell said the registration of affected residents was underway, but cautioned that the full extent of the damage was still being assessed.
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