Fire leaves 120 people homeless in Langa

An inferno was reported at 23:45 on Saturday, 30 March 2013 at Lerotholi Avenue in Langa.

Upon arrival of the firefighters it was established that shacks were engulfed with flames.

The blaze destroyed 31 shacks leaving 120 people displaced. All persons were accounted for and no injuries were sustained.

The City’s disaster response teams assisted the fire victims with the supply of food parcels, blankets, baby packs, clothing and building material.

The City’s Disaster Risk Management Centre encourages residents to be fire safe when working with open flames. When going to bed, residents should isolate electrical devices and extinguish gas burners, candles, lamps and paraffin stoves in order to prevent fires.

For more information on how to prevent fires please visit City’s Disaster Risk Management Centre on www.capetown.gov.za on www.capetown.gov.za/disaster.

End

Issued by: Disaster Risk Management Centre, City of Cape Town



Source : Wilfred Solomons-Johannes, Head: Systems Integration, Special Projects & Disaster Operations, Disaster Risk Management Centre, City of Cape Town

“Good Friday” fires result into misery for Cape Town families – over 100 people homeless

KALKFONTEIN: A blaze occurred at 18:56 on Friday, 29 March 2013 at Elmaree Street in Kalkfontein. Firefighters from Kuils River, Belhar, Strand, Bellville, Lansdowne, Mfuleni, Goodwood, Ottery; and seasonal firefighters on standby at the Epping Fire Training Academy were dispatched to the incident. The blaze destroyed 21 shacks that spread and affected 1 formal dwelling. The firefighters managed to extinguish the inferno at 20:30 and made the area safe.

GUULETHU: A fire occurred at 20:45 on Friday, 29 March 2013 at the Lusaka Informal Settlement situated off Old Klipfontein Road, in Gugulethu. The City dispatched firefighters from the Lansdowne Road, Gugulethu, Strand, Belhar and Gugulethu fire stations that arrived at 20:52. The firefighters brought the fire under control at within 17 minutes within 17 minutes [21:08] from their time off arrival. The fire destroyed 4 informal shacks that were backyard dwellings. Prior to the arrival of the emergency crews the occupants attempted to extinguish the blaze with buckets of water. It is suspected that the fire was started from a short circuit in electrical wiring insulation.

FISANTEKRAAL: At 21:42 on Friday, 29 March 2013 a fire occurred at the Fisantekraal Informal Settlement area near Durbanville. Firefighters from Kraaifontein, Durbanville, Milnerton, Goodwood, Brackenfell, Bellville stations were dispatched to the incident. The inferno destroyed 11 shacks and left 41 people displaced that include 25 adults and 16 children. It is suspected that the fire was caused by a lighted paraffin stove that overturned and ignited.

MASIPHUMELELE: At 23:59 on Friday, 29 March 2013 a fire was reported at Site 5: Masiphumelele Informal Settlement, c/o Kanana and Masibolo Streets. Firefighters from Fish Hoek, Simon’s Town, Constantia, Lakeside and Ottery were dispatched to the scene and brought the fire under control at 01:01 this morning [Saturday, 30 March 2013]. The fire destroyed 25 shacks that spread and also destroyed 3 formal houses. This morning 58 adults and 2 babies were left displaced following the fire. One adult female suffered smoke inhalation and was provided with treatment by paramedics on-scene. One adult male that was standing on a roof top of a shack fell – it is suspected that he fractured his ankle and was transported to False Bay Hospital for further medical treatment. The firefighters brought the fire under control and extinguish it at 02:40 this morning [Saturday, 30 March 2013]. As a result 60 people were left homeless (58 adults and 2 babies). It is suspected that the cause of the fire was as a result of open flames overturning and igniting bedding.

Disaster response teams at hand

The City’s disaster response teams rushed into action and assisted the fire victims with the supply of food parcels, blankets, baby packs, clothing and building material.

The City’s Disaster Risk Management Centre encourages residents to be fire safe when working with open flames. When going to bed, residents should isolate electrical devices and extinguish gas burners, candles, lamps and paraffin stoves in order to prevent fires.

For more information on how to prevent fires please visit City’s Disaster Risk Management Centre on www.capetown.gov.za on www.capetown.gov.za/disaster.

End

Issued by: Disaster Risk Management Centre, City of Cape Town

Source: Wilfred Solomons-Johannes, Head: Systems Integration, Special Projects & Disaster Operations, Disaster Risk Management Centre, City of Cape Town

Photos: 25 cars destroyed in Woodmead fire.

Werner Vermaak ER24 - More photos of #woodmead fire. Courtesy @emmavspgp

25 cars destroyed in Woodmead fire

Johannesburg - A fire that destroyed around 25 cars in Woodmead on Friday was extinguished by 2pm, emergency services said.

“The fire is completely out and the exact cause of the fire is unknown at this stage,” Johannesburg emergency services spokeswoman Nana Radebe said.

“There are a lot of stories including that the fire was caused by two children playing with fireworks and the grass caught fire. At this stage it can't be confirmed and we will investigate the incident.”

She said people at the scene had alleged that children were playing with fireworks on the grass parking area and the grass caught fire and “quickly spread” to the vehicles.

ER24 spokesman Werner Vermaak said there were no injuries.

“Paramedics and rescue personnel are on the scene. No injuries have been reported and I can confirm that the fire is out. The cars were parked on a grass parking,” he said.

Vermaak said they first received a call about the fire at 11.45am.

Most of the cars belonged to Muslim men who had gathered at Mia's Farm for a weekend of spiritual rejuvenation.

The event had been arranged by the Waterval Islamic Institute.

Police could not immediately comment.

- Sapa/IOL

Fires in Southeast Asia

The Asian monsoon dominates the climate of Southeast Asia. From roughly mid-April to September, it is rainy and hot; from November to mid-March, it is cooler and dry. Late in the dry season, fires both intentional and accidental become widespread as people use burning to clear and maintain agricultural and residential landscapes.

This image of fires burning throughout Burma (Myanmar) and Thailand was acquired on March 22, 2013, by the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on NASA’s Aqua satellite. MODIS detects fires not from visible smoke plumes, but from thermal infrared energy radiating from the land surface. The heat is invisible in images like this, but the locations where MODIS detected fires are labeled with red dots.
In permanently cultivated (usually lowland) areas, fires are used to burn crop residues and get the land ready for the growing season. In urban and residential areas, people burn leaves, trash, and brush. In the mountains, fires may indicate permanent conversion of forest to agricultural land or they may be associated with shifting cultivation, also known as swidden farming. In this system, patches of forest are cyclically cut down, burned, cultivated, and then left fallow for a time. Secondary forest or other vegetation reclaims the clearing during the fallow period.

The fires in this region have been part of the land management practices for hundreds to thousands of years, and they are not necessarily hazardous...at least not immediately. Fires have a big influence on air quality and human health, greenhouse gas emissions, the carbon cycle, and biodiversity.

“Temperature inversions that cause significant haze to build up near the surface that far exceed regional air quality standards often occur around this time of year,” explained Ritesh Gautam, a NASA atmospheric scientist. “The amount of smoke in the atmosphere usually peaks in March and April, though it depends somewhat on the timing of the monsoon,”

• References

• Gautam, R. et al (2012, June 14) Characterization of aerosols over the Indochina peninsula from satellite-surface observations during biomass pre-monsoon season. Atmospheric Environment.
• Murdiyarso, D., and Lebel, L. (2007) Local to global perspectives on forest and land fires in Southeast Asia. Mitigation and Adaptation Strategies for Global Change, 12(1), 3-11.
• Padoch, C. et al (2007) The Demise of Swidden in Southeast Asia (pdf)? Danish Journal of Geography, 107(1), 29-41.

NASA image courtesy Jeff Schmaltz, LANCE MODIS Rapid Response. Caption by Adam Voiland and Rebecca Lindsey.

Instrument: 

Aqua - MODIS - NASA

Handover of Khayelitsha Homes after New Year's day shack fires.

HANDOVER OF KHAYELITSHA HOMES

Greetings of Peace

Dear Recipients

It couldn't have coincided on a better occasion; following on the commemoration of Human Rights Day, Gift of the Givers is handing over quality houses to 24 families, all victims of the New Year's day shack fires.

Construction had initially commenced in February when we envisaged handing over houses around 21 February 2013. Unfortunately, we were highly unimpressed with the quality of those houses and stopped the entire project. We then put together our own building team, purchased quality building material, focussed on workmanship under our supervision and management and the end result is "open" for all to see when the handover takes place at 3pm today in Khayelitsha. Those who have visited this new structure, designed by us and built according to our specifications, are in absolute awe as to the effort dedicated in providing something of real quality for "free" for the disadvantaged masses in our country. Please feel free to visit and inspect the standard of the house anytime you wish to do so. Building of the next 24 houses commences on Monday, 25 March 2013. The public is welcome to contribute to this ongoing project either into our bank account or sms "GIFT" to 30100 from a Vodacom number (100 % of funds come to us) or sms "GIFT" 40100 from any other network (80% of funds come to us). Vodacom is an official partner to Gift of the Givers and sets up communication for us in disaster situations through specialised satellite technology in the absence of functioning networks.

For pictures on the Khayelitsha Housing Project please view on www.giftofthegivers.org or on Facebook. For details for today's handover event please call Gawa on 0836613035.

Imtiaz Sooliman
Gift of the Givers

City enacts mutual aid agreement to assist with Stellenbosch fire disaster

The City of Cape Town’s Fire and Rescue Services was requested to provide assistance in the early hours of this morning, 15 March 2013, following the fire that occurred after midnight at the Kayamandi informal settlement in Stellenbosch.

The City dispatched three fire engines, three water tankers, and a service vehicle from the following fire stations: Kraaifontein, Goodwood, Milnerton, Bellville, Belhar and Kuils River.

At 05:49 this morning the Fire and Rescue Services of the Cape Winelands, Drakenstein and the City of Cape Town municipalities surrounded the fire and prevented it from spreading.

The Executive Mayor of Stellenbosch, Councillor Conrad Sidego, called upon the City of Cape Town to assist with disaster relief due to its specialised knowledge and capacity in dealing with large-scale incidents of this nature. The City deployed officers from its Disaster Risk Management Centre to assist with the coordination of logistical arrangements for the provision of humanitarian relief aid to the victims.

The blaze destroyed approximately 600 structures leaving over 2 500 people homeless. The authorities have confirmed that two adult males lost their lives.

The cause of the fire has not yet been confirmed, but it is suspected that it started as a result of an unattended paraffin stove in one of the informal structures.

The staff from the City’s Disaster Risk Management Centre will remain in Stellenbosch until the situation has been stablised.

End

Issued by: Integrated Strategic Communication and Branding Department, City of Cape Town

Source: Wilfred Solomons-Johannes, Head: Systems Integration, Special Projects and Disaster Operations, Disaster Risk Management Centre, City of Cape Town

Fires in Cape Town leaves 128 homeless over weekend

Over one hundreds persons were left homeless devastated

ELSIES RIVER: At 11:25 Saturday, 09 March 2013 a fire was reported at 10 Carra Street, Connaught Estate in Elsies River. Two fire engines and one rescue vehicle were dispatched to the incident from Belhar and Goodwood fire stations. The fire destroyed one wood and iron structure (backyard dwelling) at the rear of the formal house on enclosed grounds. Upon arrival of firefighters the structure was engulfed with flames and the personal belongings, furniture, appliances and bedding was completely destroyed. The blaze spread to the formal house and the firefighters averted the dwelling catching alight, Due to the intensity of the inferno the windows cracked and the kitchen door suffered slight fire damage. The five occupants residing in the backyard dwelling were left homeless. It is suspected that children entered the backyard dwelling without permission that started the fire. The incident is under investigation.

BLACKHEATH: At 00:44 on Sunday, 10 March 2013 the South African Police Services reported a fire in progress at the Happy Valley Informal Settlement, off Wimbledon Road in Blackheath. Three fire engines, 2 water tankers and 1 rescue vehicle were dispatched from Mfuleni, Kuils River, Strand and Belhar fire stations to the scene of incident. As firefighters approached the scene of the incident it was observed that smoke was billowing from a distance. At 00:49 upon arrival of the emergency crews the residents were evacuated from the structures to safety. The firefighters manage to extinguish at 02:09. The fire destroyed 7 shacks leaving 23 people displaced. One adult male that suffered burnwounds to his one shoulder and refused to be transported to hospital for medical treatment. It is suspected that a “gally” fire was left unattended that presumably caused the fire.

ATHLONE: At 08:46 on Sunday, 10 March 2013 an emergency call was reported for a house alight at 11 Ruby Crescent in Athlone. Shortly thereafter at 08:51 a member of the public reported that another fire was taking place near the Vygieskraal Stadium. At the same time the Fire & Rescue Services arrived and it was established that a fire was rapidly spreading in the informal settlement area situated at 8th Avenue in Athlone. As a result 20 shacks were destroyed and two low-cost housing dwellings were also affected as a result of the shacks been built in close proximity. A total of 100 persons were affected by the blaze. The shacks were built under the overhead powerlines that were also damaged. The City’s standby electricians effected emergency repairs to the supply in the area. It is suspected that one of the occupants of the shacks leaving a pot on a stove that resulted in the blaze.

Disaster response teams at hand

The City’s disaster response teams assisted the fire victims with the supply of food parcels, blankets, baby packs, clothing and building material.

The City’s Disaster Risk Management Centre encourages residents to be fire safe when working with open flames. When going to bed, residents should isolate electrical devices and extinguish gas burners, candles, lamps and paraffin stoves in order to prevent fires.

For more information on how to prevent fires please visit City’s Disaster Risk Management Centre on www.capetown.gov.za on www.capetown.gov.za/disaster.

End

Issued by: Disaster Risk Management Centre, City of Cape Town



Source: Wilfred Solomons-Johannes, Head: Systems Integration, Special Projects & Disaster Operations, Disaster Risk Management Centre, City of Cape Town

One dead, 25 rescued after fire on-board Korean fishing ship

A fire swept through a Korean fishing ship at the Port of Cape Town, killing one fishermen - 25 other seamen evacuated to safety.

At approximately 20:38 on Saturday, 02 March 2013 a distress call was reported to the City of Cape Town by the Port of Cape Town regarding a fishing vessel on fire.

The Korean flagship long liner fishing vessel, Hwa–Tsan, was berthed at the Landing Warf, Duncan Road, Port of Cape Town.

The City’s Fire & Rescue Services dispatched fire engines and emergency services personnel without delay to the incident from the following 12 fire stations: Cape Town Central Fire (Roeland Street), Sea Point, Brooklyn, Milnerton, Lakeside, Belhar, Salt River, Constantia, Goodwood, Wynberg, Bellville and Strand.

Upon arrival of the emergency services and disaster response teams smoke was billowing from the vessel.

At 21:23 the strong south-easterly wind that persisted last night made the firefighting efforts challenging. Due to the intensity of the blaze on-board the vessel the firefighters were withdrawn from the vessel.

A tug boat from the Port of Cape Town was on standby in close proximity of the vessel that was dozing down the blaze.

At approximately 23:18 fire crews gained access to the hull bring the fire under control.

The body of the reported missing person, Ho Xuan Tung (29 years), a Vietnamese citizen, was found burnt beyond recognition.

At 01:05 this morning firefighters extinguished the blaze and handed the incident over to National Ports Authority of South Africa.

The body of the deceased person was removed by the Western Cape Government: Department of Health [Forensic Pathology Services] to the Salt River State Mortuary. A post-mortem will be performed on the deceased person.

The 25 crew members were evacuated from the vessel and emergency shelter is provided at the Seaman’s Club.

There were 2 Taiwanese, 2 Chinese, 10 Vietnamese (1 person died) and 12 Koreans seaman on-board.

The captain in command of the vessel was Wong Ting-Shan (49 years) that is a Taiwanese citizen.

The City’s Disaster Risk Management Centre informed the embassies of Taiwan (Cape Town Tapei Liaison Office), People’s Republic of China, Socialist Republic of Vietnam and the Republic of Korea regarding the tragic incident.

The emergency services personnel averted any significant environmental (air and marine) pollution.

Upon interviewing the crew members by the relevant authorities it appears that in the course of conflict the vessel was purposefully torched.

The South African Maritime Authority [SAMSA] will also interview the crew members and investigate the incident subject to international maritime conventions.

The shipping agent, Regal Cape Marine, is responsible for handling shipments and cargo at ports and harbours on behalf of the shipping company. The shipping agent is also taking care of the sheltering arrangements; including care and comfort whilst the crew members are in Cape Town.

The Directorate of Ports of Entry: Maritime & Aviation Ports from the Department of Home Affairs dispatched immigration control officers to administer the admission of the foreigners into the territorial borders of South Africa and assisted with the issuing permits.

A case docket has been opened by the South African Police Services (SAPS) for suspected arson – the matter is under investigation.


End


Issued by: Disaster Risk Management Centre, City of Cape Town


Source: Wilfred Solomons-Johannes, Head: Systems Integration, Special Projects & Disaster Operations, Disaster Risk Management Centre, City of Cape Town

Fires in Southeastern Australia

 

The Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on NASA’s Terra satellite captured this image showing large bush fires burning in southwestern Victoria on February 18, 2013. Red outlines indicate hot spots where MODIS detected unusually warm surface temperatures associated with fires. Winds blew a long plume of smoke south toward the Bass Strait.

About 300 firefighters using dozens of vehicles and 14 aircraft were battling the fires, which were burning near Grampians National Park. Lightning ignited a number of fires about a week ago; two of them merged to create the large fire shown here. Authorities estimated that it had burned about 6,000 hectares (15,000 acres) by Feb. 19.

• References

• ABC Melbourne (2013, Feb. 18) Wind changes, hot day ahead as Grampians bushfire continues to burn. Accessed Feb. 18, 2013.
• Country Fire Authority (2013, Feb. 18) Grampians-Victoria Valley Complex. Accessed Feb. 18, 2013.
• Herald Sun (2013, Feb. 18) Two Bushfires Merge in the Grampians in Victoria’s Southwest. Accessed Feb. 18, 2013.
• Stawell Times-News (2013, Feb. 18) Grampians fire updates. Accessed Feb. 18, 2013.
• The Standard (2013, Feb. 19) Dunkeld on edge as fires merge to create massive front. Accessed Feb. 18, 2013.

NASA image courtesy Jeff Schmaltz, LANCE MODIS Rapid Response. Caption by Adam Voiland.

Instrument: 

Terra - MODIS - NASA

Mustang Complex Fires in Idaho

On August 29, 2012, the Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite (VIIRS) on the Suomi NPP satellite captured this nighttime view of wildfires burning in Idaho and Montana. The sensor detects light in a range of wavelengths from green to near-infrared and uses filtering techniques to observe signals such as gas flares, auroras, wildfires, city lights, and reflected moonlight. When the image was acquired, the moon was in its waxing gibbous phase, meaning it was more than half-lit, but less than full.

The Operational Line System (OLS)—an earlier generation of night-viewing sensors on the U.S. Defense Meteorological Satellite Program (DMSP) satellites—was also capable of detecting fires at night. But the VIIRS “day-night band” is far better than OLS at resolving them. Each pixel of an VIIRS image shows roughly 740 meters (0.46 miles), compared to the 3-kilometer footprint (1.86 miles) on the OLS system.
Numerous hot spots from the Mustang Complex Fire are visible in northern Idaho. A plume of thick, billowing smoke streams west from the brightest fires near the Idaho-Montana border. The Halstead and Trinity Ridge fires are visible to the south. In addition to the fires, city lights from Boise and other smaller cities appear throughout the image. A bank of clouds is located west of the Mustang Complex, over southeastern Washington and northeastern Oregon.

Learn more about the VIIRS day-night band and nighttime imaging of Earth in our feature story: Out of the Blue and Into the Black.

• References

• Earth Observatory (n.d.) Mustang Complex Wildfire Gallery. Accessed Nov. 29, 2012.
• Lee, T. (2006, Feb) The NPOESS VIIRS Day/Night Visible Sensor. Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society. Accessed Nov. 29, 2012.
• Miller, S. (2012, Aug. 10) Suomi satellite brings to light a unique frontier of nighttime environmental sensing capabilities. Proceeding of the National Academy of Sciences. Accessed Nov. 29, 2012.
• NASA (n.d.) Suomi NPP. Accessed Nov. 29, 2012.

NASA Earth Observatory image by Jesse Allen and Robert Simmon, using VIIRS Day-Night Band data from the Suomi National Polar-orbiting Partnership. Suomi NPP is the result of a partnership between NASA, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, and the Department of Defense. Caption by Adam Voiland.

Instrument: 

Suomi NPP - VIIRS

Fire in Langa leaves nearly 300 people homeless

At 09:25 today [Monday, 18 February 2013] the City’s surveillance centre noticed a blaze occurring at Zone 30, off Washing Drive in Langa.

The City’s Fire & Rescue Services dispatched fire engines and emergency services personnel without delay from the Epping, Gugulethu, Goodwood, Milnerton, Mfuleni and Bellville Fire Stations to the scene of incident.

At around 09:34 the first responding emergency vehicle arrival on-scene and at the time the inferno has already spread rapidly through the structures.

The blaze was intense and the standby seasonal firefighters were also activate and deployed to assist at the scene.

At approximately 14:09 the firefighters managed to extinguish the blaze and made the area safe.

The furnace destroyed 83 wooden and iron structures leaving 168 adults and 120 children homeless. No persons sustained any injuries.

The disaster response teams were activated that will assist with the supply of food parcels, blankets, baby packs, clothing and building material.

The cause of the fire has not been determined as yet and the local authorities will investigate the incident.

End

Issued by: Disaster Risk Management Centre, City of Cape Town

Media enquiries:

Wilfred Solomons-Johannes, Head: Systems Integration, Special Projects & Disaster Operations, Disaster Risk Management Centre, City of Cape Town

Authorities closes factory after explosion in Cape Town

The explosion that occurred at approximately 16:00 on Wednesday 13 February 2013 killed a technician [Martin O’Connor] that work on a compressor inside the Atlas Gardens Industrial Park at Contermanskloof after it exploded.

Saji Thekkemalayil Chandrasekharaan that hails from India that was working at the factory was airlifted and rushed to the Netcare Blaauwberg Hospital whereafter he later died of his injuries.

Two other persons Brandon Pretorius and Jean Rossouw that sustained serious injuries whose lower extremities were amputated are critical and remain in the intensive care unit at Milnerton Medi-Clinic.

Yesterday the scene was still close-off as the Forensic Pathology Service of the Western Cape Government: Department of Health was still clearing the area as body parts were scattered around.

The authorities regard this accident in a serious light and assembled a team of specialists from the City of Cape Town; Department of Labour and the South African Police Services to investigate the matter.

After the joint inspection that was conducted by the authorities yesterday a prohibition order was issued to the management that the facility will be shut-down.

The explosion also resulted in significance structural damages to the building caused by the impact of the explosion rendered by the building structural unsound. The City’s building inspectorate has issued a Section 12 Notice in terms of the National Building Regulations and Building Standards Act, Act 103 of 1977 that emergency repair work be undertaken making the area safe.

The cause of the explosion remains unclear and the factory can only be opened once the investigation is completed by the relevant authorities.

End

Issued by: Disaster Risk Management Centre, City of Cape Town

Media enquiries:


Wilfred Solomons-Johannes, Head: Systems Integration, Special Projects & Disaster Operations, Disaster Risk Management Centre, City of Cape Town

Fires in Cape Town leaves dozens homeless in cold weather – 2 Zimbabweans dead

More than five dozen people were left homeless over this past weekend as fires gutted homes in four suburbs in the Cape Peninsula area.

Residents in Mitchell’s Plain, Strand, Bishop Lavis, and Parkwood were sitting despaired to life in the cold as the Cape Peninsula experienced rainy weather.

MITCHELL’S PLAIN: At 00:21 on Saturday, 09 February 2013 a fire was reported at 09 Theronsberg Street in Tafelsig, Mitchell’s Plain. The blaze gutted a wood and iron structure at the rear of the dwelling on the premises leaving one adult female and one minor displaced. The occupants of the dwelling attempted to extinguish the blaze with a garden house however their attempts were unsuccessful as the structure was engulfed in flames. Within minutes from receipt of the call the Mitchell’s Plain firefighters arrived at 00:25 on the scene. Upon their arrival they swiftly extinguished the blaze. It is suspected that the fire was started by coals from a braai that was not extinguished.

STRAND: At 04:54 on Saturday, 09 February 2013 a massive inferno swept through the Llwandle Informal Settlement in Strand. The City dispatched fire engines and crews from the following fire stations to bring the blaze under control: Strand, Somerset West, Mfuleni, Macassar, Khayelitsha, Lansdowne Road (Khayelitsha) and Hout Bay. Upon arrival of firefighters it was established that half of the area was engulfed in flames. The firefighters manage to extinguish the blaze at 06:14. Twelve structures that were situated off Mbandezelo Road [near Rhalarhala Street] were completely destroyed. The blaze that emanated in the centre informal settlement fanned towards the surrounding area that severely damaged one house whilst another two dwelling sustained slight damages. The blaze left 33 people homeless in the area. Elliot Zuzu (28 years) and David Chinyanga (35 years) from Zimbabwe that resided at 31868 Mbandezelo Street suffered severe burn wounds and succumbed from their injuries. The local authorities have notified their families in Cape Town and in Zimbabwe regarding their tragic death. The circumstances surrounding the occurrence are unclear. The South African Police Services [SAPS] opened a case docket to investigate the incident.

BISHOP LAVIS: A fire occurred at 05:25 on Saturday, 09 February 2013 at 30 Sun Road in Bishop Lavis. One wood and iron structure at the rear of the brick and mortar dwelling on the premises. The fire destroyed the entire structure and contents including personal effects, furniture, appliances and bedding. The formal dwelling sustained minor structural fire damage. It is suspected that the fire was caused by an electrical fault however the authorities will investigate.

PARKWOOD: At 22:23 on Sunday, 10 February 2013 a fire was reported at 5 Viljoens Walk in Parkwood. The blaze destroyed 3 backyard dwellings and left 5 people displaced. The circumstances surrounding the incident are undetermined.

Rushing into action

The City’s disaster response teams assisted sixty (60) fire victims with the supply of food parcels, blankets, baby packs, clothing and building material; including emergency psychosocial trauma counselling.

The City’s Disaster Risk Management Centre encourages residents to be fire safe when working with open flames. When going to bed, residents should isolate electrical devices and extinguish gas burners, candles, lamps and paraffin stoves in order to prevent fires.

For more information on how to prevent fires please visit City’s Disaster Risk Management Centre on www.capetown.gov.za/disaster.

End


Issued by: Disaster Risk Management Centre, City of Cape Town

Source: Wilfred Solomons-Johannes, Head: Systems Integration, Special Projects & Disaster Operations, Disaster Risk Management Centre, City of Cape Town

Fire started by illegal burning of copper wire – 18 people homeless in Netreg

An inferno left 18 people homeless at Netreg, Bonteheuwel earlier this morning.

The blaze that was reported at 11:35 today [Friday, 08 February 2013] destroyed two informal dwellings at 21 Oliehout Street.

The fire spread and affected another two backyard dwellings situated at 67 and 69 Oleander Road.

According to occupants it is alleged that the people at 21 Oliehout was making an open flame fire burning copper wire.

The disaster response teams interviewed the eyewitnesses which said that the sparks from the fire resulted in the backyard dwellings catching alight.

No persons sustained any injuries or died as a result of the fires.

The occupants who have lost all their personal belongings in Oleander Street said that they will open a case docket for the guilty persons to be prosecuted by the South African Police Services [SAPS].

End

Issued by: Disaster Risk Management Centre, City of Cape Town

Source: Wilfred Solomons-Johannes, Head: Systems Integration, Special Projects & Disaster Operations, Disaster Risk Management Centre, City of Cape Town

Fire claims life of 64 year old male in Phillipi

A fire occurred at 17:41 yesterday afternoon [Thursday, 07 February 2013] at 16594 Diya Street at the Brown’s Farm Informal Settlement [off the c/o Mzazi and Diya Streets] in Phillipi.

The fire gutted one shack leaving 11 people displaced.

The fire claimed the life of Khawceza Nontsele (64 years) that could not escape when the shack was engulfed in flames.

The City’s disaster response teams will be offering assistance to the family in the form of food, blankets, clothing and building material; including trauma counselling.

The circumstances regarding the occurrence of the incident is been investigated and the SAPS have opened an inquest docket.

End

Issued by: Disaster Risk Management Centre, City of Cape Town

Source: Wilfred Solomons-Johannes, Head: Systems Integration, Special Projects & Disaster Operations, Disaster Risk Management Centre, City of Cape Town

NASA FIRMS Fire Alert: South Africa

Your Area of Interest (Country) : South Africa

Fires detected over the past 24 hours in your area-of-interest : 48

(NOTE: Cloud cover might obscure active fire detections. The fire points will be listed only when the total number of active fires detected is less than or equal to 50)

This email was generated on 2013-02-08, 09:42:09 UTC

- NASA

Preventing Devastating Shack Fires

Most Accidental Candle Fires can be Prevented

I am a former UNMIL Fire Marshal that has a special place in my heart for my friends and Firefighters in Africa.

Kevin's Kandles has been founded as a direct result of my assignment in 2007-2008. The weekly fire calls for accidental candle fires in Monrovia had a profound impact on me. I have spent my entire career providing fire protection and fire safety to the public. Upon my return to Canada I knew I had to do something more. Now Kevin's Kandles are available - How do we encourage suppliers like Monoprix or Bridgeway to offer these candles to all Africans? They are Much Safer than paraffin candles, less than half the price and environmentally friendly.

If a Kevin's Kandle is left unattended - it will go out; if it is tipped over - it will go out!

In January 2012 another tragic accidental candle fire occurred in Monrovia, Liberia. 150 homes were destroyed and 2,500 people were left homeless.

This tragedy could have been prevented with Kevin’s Kandles. It’s time for the UN and other Poverty Relief Groups to embrace these Much Safer candles.

A shipping carton measures 15 x 15 x 20”, weighs 25 pounds and contains 500 packs of Kevin’s Kandles. Each pack has the potential to provide a family with 3+ months of safer candle illumination. A shipping container holds 324,000 packs of these candles.

To watch the demonstration video and read the “Small Steps” folder visit www.asafercandle.com

Let’s reduce the number of accidental candle fires!

Saving Siding Spring Observatory

On the afternoon of January 14, 2013, a fierce bushfire swept across the campus of Siding Spring Observatory, a world-class astronomy facility on a ridge in Australia’s Warrumbungle National Park. The observatory is home to some of the most powerful sky-mapping telescopes in the world.

Ten years earlier, a brush fire devastated one of Australia’s other top observatories, so the staff of Siding Spring feared that history was repeating itself. As the fire reached the observatory’s campus, cameras and telescopes sent back disturbing images of flames lapping at the doorsteps of buildings and smoke billowing overhead.

By nightfall on January 14, the situation looked dire to the scientists and staff who had evacuated and were left to monitor the situation online. A handful of buildings on the campus were on fire. At one point, a thermometer on campus recorded a spike in air temperatures to 100 degrees Celsius (212 degrees Fahrenheit).

The next day, however, brought relief. The fire subsided, and only three buildings at Siding Spring—including the residence of a Siding Spring astronomer—were destroyed. Aside from minor smoke damage, the major telescopes were fine.

The Advanced Spaceborne Thermal Emission and Reflection Radiometer (ASTER) on NASA’s Terra satellite offers a unique perspective on how close the observatory came to destruction. The satellite acquired these false-color views of the burn scar on February 4, 2013, three weeks after the fire. The images combine measurements from both the visible and the infrared portions of the electromagnetic spectrum; unburned forest vegetation appears dark red, unburned grasslands are pink, and burned vegetation is brown. The observatory’s buildings and telescope domes are white. The fire burned a large swath of Warrumbungle National Park severely—except for a small patch of unburned forest around and just north of the observatory.

Years of preparation, combined with the heroic efforts of 30 firefighters, explain why only that small patch of forest survived. A decade earlier, after fire devastated Mount Stromlo Observatory, Siding Spring took steps to strengthen its defenses against bushfire. Mesh nets were installed over many of the observatory’s structures to repel flying embers. And controlled fires were occasionally set around the observatory grounds to rid the forests of underbrush.

Amanda Bauer, an Australian Astronomical Observatory fellow who wrote about the fire and its aftermath on a blog (Astropixie) summed up the sentiments of the staff: “[I was] overjoyed that the measures taken to save Siding Spring Observatory against the fire (when combined with a bit of luck) were enough in this case!”

• References

• Astropixie (2013, Jan. 13 - Feb. 1) Siding Spring Observatory Fire. Accessed Feb. 5, 2013.
• Australian Geographic (2013, Jan. 16) Bushfire hits Australia’s largest observatory. Accessed Feb. 5, 2013.
• Gizmodo (2013, Jan. 17) How The Fire Fight For Australia’s Greatest Observatory Was Won. Accessed Feb. 5, 2013.
• Physics World (2013, Jan. 16) Fires Ravage Siding Spring Observatory. Accessed Feb. 5, 2013.
• Sky & Telescope (2013, Jan. 13) Fire Damages Siding Spring Observatory. Accessed Feb. 5, 2013.
• Sydney Morning Herald (2013, Jan. 14) ‘It looked like an atom bomb’: telescope saved but ‘dangerous’ bushfire destroys homes. Accessed Feb. 5, 2013.

NASA Earth Observatory image by Jesse Allen, using data from NASA/GSFC/METI/ERSDAC/JAROS, and U.S./Japan ASTER Science Team. Caption by Adam Voiland.

Instrument: 

Terra - ASTER - NASA

Khayelitsha fires displaces over 250 people overnight

At 23:03 last night [Monday, 04 February 2013] a fire destroyed 5 shacks at Emsindweni Informal Settlement off Khawuleza Road in Khayelitsha that left 11 persons displaced. The fire destroyed all the personal belongings of the households. It is suspected that the fire was caused by an electrical fault.

Another fire occurred at 23:16 last night [Monday, 04 February 2013] at Site B, UT Section, Khayelitsha. It is estimated that the blaze destroyed 50 shacks in the area leaving nearly 250 people homeless. The circumstances regarding the blaze are not known.

During the course of the day the City’s disaster response teams will assist the fire victims with the supply of food parcels, blankets, baby packs; clothing; and building material.

No persons sustained any injuries or died as a result of these fires.

End

Issued by: Disaster Risk Management Centre, City of Cape Town

Source: Wilfred Solomons-Johannes, Head: Systems Integration, Special Projects & Disaster Operations, Disaster Risk Management Centre, City of Cape Town