‘Containing shack fires is hard’

The City of Cape Town said on Tuesday conditions in informal settlements made it difficult for firefighters to prevent blazes from spreading.

Authorities continued to encourage residents to create fire breaks and exit routes to prevent future blazes from extending.

One woman died and over 1,000 people were displaced when a fire destroyed their shacks in Langa on Tuesday.

Residents believed a candle toppled over in the home of the deceased which sparked the blaze.

City of Cape Town councilor JP Smith said, “We will not be able to improve the impact of the fire because the conditions in the settlements make it impossible to do so.

"We can only do something about the fire if structures are placed at a distance from each other.”

- EWN