City puts in place measures to curb fire-outbreaks

By Nadia Samie
24 April 2007

In anticipation of the upsurge in fires in informal settlements as the weather in Cape Town cools down, the City has put in place measures to regulate possible outbreaks.

In a bid to curb fires in informal settlements specifically, the Fire and Rescue Services will regularly visit high-risk areas to provide advice and fire prevention material to communities.

Newly appointed City Fire Chief, Ian Schnetler says that, together with Disaster Risk Management, the Fire and Rescue Service is identifying members within communities and training them in the basic aspects of first aid and fire fighting methods to assist in the initial stages of fire-fighting.

In addition, a firefighting project called Operation Firewatch was launched earlier this month that incorporates the use of hi-tech computer systems and rapid aerial response.

Each year, thousands of families are left homeless by run-away shack fires in some of Cape Town’s most impoverished areas.