Shack fire in Johannesburg.
JOHANNESBURG -As South Africans brace themselves for another cold winter, residents will be pulling out their coats, scarves, and heaters.
While this may mean cosy nights and warm drinks, the season also brings with it a deadly threat - a rise in shack fires in informal settlements.
In April Human Settlements Minister Thembi Simelane revealed that between September 2024 and February 2025, more than 2,000 informal structures across South Africa burned down.
January 2025 saw the highest monthly total with 973 structures destroyed nationwide.
She was giving a parliamentary report in response to DA MP Conrad James Poole’s question about fire incidents during the festive season.
Johannesburg Emergency Medical Services (EMS) spokesperson Robert Mulaudzi says shack fires on the Highveld mostly occur in winter
"Due to extremely cold temperatures residents are tempted to dry and warm themselves in the process making themselves vulnerable to fire incidents."
To tackle the issue, Mulaudzi said EMS has launched an education unit called PEIR, aimed at raising awareness in communities through fire safety programmes.
But he stressed that residents also have a role to play, particularly with the South African Weather Service issuing warnings about severe cold fronts sweeping across the country this week.
Two cold fronts are expected to bring extreme weather conditions, including sub-zero temperatures.
The weather systems will first hit Gauteng on Wednesday with snowfall expected in some parts of the country.
Mulaudzi has given residents guidelines to stay safe:
-Keep burning candles out of reach of young children -Don't leave young children unattended in a room with a lit candle/heater/paraffin stove -Store candles, matches and lighters away from the reach of young children -Use containers with safety caps to store paraffin -Illegal electricity connections are dangerous to you and your household – please report any illegal connections in your area -Don't leave any form of heater unattended while in use |