Cape Town has been hit by a series of devastating fires over a 24-hour period, leaving communities in shock, a young girl dead, two firefighters injured, and hundreds of residents displaced. In a frantic stretch of less than a day, emergency services battled multiple fires across Fisantekraal, Dunoon, Nomzamo, and Gugulethu, severely testing the city’s firefighting resources.
The deadliest fire occurred in Dunoon’s Newlands informal settlement, where the body of a nine-year-old girl was discovered after a blaze erupted around 01:40 on Sunday morning. Police spokesperson Captain FC Van Wyk confirmed that the girl had been asleep inside her shack while her parents attended a nearby church service. “They saw smoke coming into the church, rushed outside, and discovered the shack ablaze with the child inside. The cause of the fire is currently unknown,” Van Wyk said.
Firefighters quickly responded to the scene and managed to extinguish the fire by 03:40. Jermaine Carelse, spokesperson for the City’s Fire and Rescue Services Department, estimated that 25 structures were destroyed in the incident, leaving 45 people homeless.
Earlier on Sunday, around 02:30, another fire broke out at Stasie Weg in Fisantekraal, near Durbanville. According to Carelse, the fire destroyed at least 10 structures and displaced 40 residents. Fortunately, no injuries were reported in that incident, and the blaze was extinguished by 05:00. The cause of this fire remains undetermined.
One of the largest fires occurred in Nomzamo, Strand, on Saturday at 22:45. Flames engulfed over 100 homes along Nombula Street, leaving more than 200 people homeless. Strong winds fanned the inferno, making containment extremely difficult. Nearly 60 firefighters worked tirelessly through the night to control the fire, finally bringing it under control by 04:30 on Sunday morning. Tragically, two firefighters sustained injuries while battling the blaze.
Adding to the challenges, reports emerged of some members of the public interfering with firefighting efforts, including tampering with fire hoses. The City has condemned such actions, emphasizing the importance of allowing emergency services to operate unhindered.
Meanwhile, in the Barcelona informal settlement of Gugulethu, a fire broke out on Saturday at 17:30, displacing more than 50 residents. Fire crews from Epping, Landsdowne, Belhar, and Wynberg were dispatched and successfully contained the blaze by 19:20, with no injuries reported.
The causes of all four fires are still under investigation, as authorities work to determine if negligence, accidents, or other factors played a role.
Humanitarian organization Gift of the Givers has stepped in to assist displaced residents. Spokesperson Ali Sablay described the past 24 hours as “exceptionally busy” for the organization. They have deployed additional resources to Nomzamo, providing food, temporary shelter, and other essential support to those affected by the fires.
As Cape Town continues to cope with the aftermath, the incidents highlight the vulnerability of informal settlements to fire hazards and the critical role of emergency services in protecting lives and property. Authorities are urging residents to exercise caution and remain vigilant as investigations continue.
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