A blaze that gutted at least 40 shacks in Alexandra in Johannesburg on Wednesday was brought under control thanks to prompt action by residents who were trained by the fire department.
The ”Umashesha”, or ”fast movers” as they are known, were first on the scene and immediately formed bucket lines with other community members.
Residents who were not in the bucket lines also helped by using garden hoses and shovelling sand on to the fire.
Johannesburg emergency services spokesperson Malcolm Midgley said: ”This is what we train them to do.”
He said the community can do a lot to contain a blaze until the fire department arrives at the scene.
Some community members accused the fire brigade of not getting to the fire quickly, but they were the ones who just stood and watched while others tried to stop the flames from spreading.
Firefighters and community members fought the blaze side by side for at least an hour until it was brought under control and extinguished.
According to Midgley, an electrical distribution box on the wall of a house exploded, causing the fire.
”Most connections are legal, but sometimes they overload the boxes with illegal connections,” he said.
A member of the community said although he does not live in the area, he will do everything he could to help douse the fire because whether they live in shacks or houses, no one deserves to lose their home.
Johannesburg city councillor Sinah Java Gwebu said residents who have lost their homes will be housed in a transit camp in Alexandra until the end of the year.
She said the remaining shacks in that area will also be destroyed later in the year, as the council is busy developing a tennis court, swimming pool and ice-skating facilities. — Sapa