Siphelele Nketo

A MULTI-LEVEL shack in Mphela, Kokstad, was destroyed in a few minutes by a violent fire on Tuesday, August 11.

The popular shack was attached to an RDP house, drawing attention from people passing by. However, during freezing temperatures in the afternoon, neighbours saw a large plume of smoke coming from inside the shack. When they rushed to the scene, they found the occupant sleeping in the upper area of the shack. The occupant was rescued unharmed and firefighters were informed.

According to Kokstad firefighter supervisor Thomekile Ngodwana, the fire was successfully prevented from spreading to other houses in the area.

“When firefighters arrived at the scene, the fire was at its developing stage. Firefighters prevented the flames from spreading to the RDP house. The fire only damaged the two-storey shack and items that were inside,” Ngodwana said. The cause of the fire remains unknown.

Another shack caught alight in Kokstad on Sunday. Ngodwana warned residents to be cautious when using heating methods such as paraffin stoves, candles and braziers (imbawula) when fighting the cold.