The public is being asked to help the victims of a fire that destroyed two houses and several shacks in Westlake, leaving more than 30 people with little more than the clothes on their backs.

Firefighters from Lakeside, Fish Hoek and Mitchell’s Plain tackled the blaze that started in the vicinity of 56 and 58 Ibis Way on the afternoon of Monday January 20, says City Fire and Rescue Service spokesman Jermaine Carelse.

The cause of the fire had not been established, he said.

Ward councillor Carolynne Franklin said the Westlake United Church Trust hall was serving as a temporary shelter.

“Sadly, one family from Malawi only arrived here a few weeks ago, and all of their possessions are destroyed,” she said, thanking those who had offered help, including residents, businesses, Gift of The Givers, the Mustadafin Foundation and City Disaster Risk Management.

“It is of great concern to me that as this is a formal suburb made up of privately-owned properties and not an informal settlement, limited City resources can be unlocked,” she said, but added that the City’s solid waste department had cleared 56 and 58 Ibis Way and rebuilding had begun.

“My visits to the affected backyarders have been met with grace and strength, and the donations of food and emergency hygiene packs plus blankets have been received with thanks and gratitude,” Ms Franklin said.

Andisiwe Jacobs, 29, moved to Westlake from the Eastern Cape in December with her 8-year-old daughter; her sister, Ayanda; and Ayanda’s boyfriend, Malibongwe Nombombo, to be with her mother.

She said she had been sitting with her mother and sister in the dining room of her mother’s house at 56 Ibis Way when the screams of a child who lived in the shacks in their backyard had alerted them to the fire on the property next door.

When they had opened the door to one of the backyard shacks, they had been met with flames.

“Fire suddenly came out, burning the side of the house. It was too late; two shacks were already on fire from inside.”

The fire had quickly become too strong to fight with hosepipes and buckets of water, and Mr Nombombo had broken his ankle when the roof of a shack he had stood on to fight the flames with a bucket of water had collapsed, she said.

The fire had destroyed all six shacks in the backyard and gutted parts of the kitchen, she said.

“We had to break the front window to get our stuff out because there was too much smoke inside the house, and the fire raged in the kitchen. There was an Eskom box that we were scared was going to burst so we tried to take whatever we could and get out. The things that we managed to get are minimal. Even our IDs got burnt. We lost a lot.”

While grateful for help, Ms Jacobs said rebuilding would be hard as her mother was a pensioner and she, Ayanda and Mr Nombombo were unemployed.

Cecile Antonie, of Tokai, started an appeal on social media for donations, and she is working with Westlake Development Forum, Amazing Grace Upliftment Centre, Westlake United Church Trust and the Acts Mission Church to help the fire victims.

A similar operation helped storm-hit families in June last year (“Ubuntu helps storm-hit Westlake recover,” Bulletin, June 25)

Volunteers had received donations of food, clothing, stationery, but cutlery, wash basins, bedding and other household necessities were still needed, Ms Antonie said.

“People are devastated, and we're busy trying to put together some counselling for the folks because emotionally they are really battling,” she said.

To assist the fire victims, call Cecile Antonie at 082 900 1832.

The fire left a trail of destruction in its wake. Picture: supplied

Westlake residents used buckets of water and hosepipes to douse the flames. Picture: supplied

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