Overnight fire leaves dozens homeless in Joe Slovo settlement

A late-night fire tore through an informal settlement in Joe Slovo on Thursday, January 22, leaving dozens of residents displaced and destroying several homes.

According to the City’s Fire and Rescue Service, Jermaine Carelse said emergency crews were alerted to multiple structures alight in Freedom Way at approximately 22.50pm.

Several firefighting units, including the Incident Management Team, were dispatched to the scene.

Firefighters battled the blaze for several hours and by 4am on Friday morning had managed to extinguish it.

"A total of 30 structures were destroyed, the majority of which were double-storey dwellings. Approximately 70 people were displaced as a result of the incident," he said.

During the operation, a fire hose was cut, and a fire branch nozzle was stolen from the scene, said Mr Carelse.

One firefighter sustained an injury and was taken to a nearby medical facility for treatment, while a community member was treated for smoke inhalation.

"No fatalities were reported, and the cause of the fire remains undetermined," he said.

Community activist Bongeka Sifile said she was shocked by the scale of the fire, describing how the settlement was suddenly lit up by flames.

She said residents ran towards Democracy Way shouting for help, but by the time they managed to get out of their homes, the fire had already spread rapidly through the area.

“People suffered big losses here. Children lost their stationery and school clothes,” she said.

"We are standing here in nighties and sleepwear because we lost everything in the fire, including our ID's and bank cards."

She added that the narrow streets in Joe Slovo Park made it difficult for fire engines to access certain parts of the settlement.

However, she said she had no information regarding the damaged fire hose or the stolen equipment.

Ms Sifile encouraged community members to assist the affected families by donating items to support fire victims. If you would like to help the fire victims, contact her at 078 713 5989.

Find Tabletalk on Tiktok and Instagram @ccmonlineza