While many of us are somewhat getting used to being in isolation, 20 families lost their homes altogether on the 17th of April thanks to a fire that tore through Alexandra in Gauteng. Gauteng MEC for Human Settlements, Urban Planning and Cogta, Lebogang Maile, went to visit the ground in Alexandra’s Organic Market Informal Settlement in a bid to lend support to the 20 families who lost their homes in the fire.
Maile was joined by senior officials from Provincial Disaster Management and the City of Johannesburg. Together, they assessed the damage and considered what support the Gauteng Provincial Government could lend.
“We have to be agile as government in responding to the needs of our people.”
Lebogang Maile, Gauteng MEC for Human Settlements
Some of the burnt shacks were reconstructed this afternoon. Also, reports suggest that disaster management is already re-building the shacks that were burnt and families are being housed in nearby shelters for the time being. The cause of the fire is unknown at this stage.
Fires during COVID-19
At Put It Out, we’d love to give thanks to the firefighters and NGOs that could assist the families during this time. Quite often it takes many hands to assist in situations like this, especially during the national lockdown. At this time, there’s still no clear indication when the lockdown enforcement will be officially lifted, however, we sincerely no more shacks are affected.
As the lockdown means that the government is enforcing social distancing, there’s no real way around stopping a fire without human interaction. This means a chance that many people will group up (to be protected from the fire) or assist people in saving their homes.
With the Put It Out fire extinguisher, one can use it within their own home, therefore preventing the need for external assistance if there’s a small fire. For more information about the product, click here or email us for more info.