A fire destroyed about 18 shacks in Kensington after an elderly man allegedly threw his burning dagga zol in a bin filled with papers.
Destitute residents of the 18th Avenue informal settlement said the fire spread quickly on Tuesday afternoon at about 3pm.
Homeowner Jonathan Japhta, 50, says he was out and when he got home he found his home and car on fire.
He says: “I lost everything, I have nothing. My dog was killed in this. My son’s money was in the shack and it burnt with everything else that was in there. We have nowhere to go.”
Another fire victim Dylan Solomons told the Daily Voice he was busy renovating his shack when he smelled smoke.
He explains: “I saw a big fire from the old man’s home, he smoked there and he had a drum which had paper. His shack was built with plastic and wood. He moved into my yard because his place burnt on the other side of the area. After the fire, he decided to leave. We are not sure where he went.
“I lost a lot of money, I just bought the material to fix my place and then this happened.”
Fire and Rescue Services spokesperson, Jermaine Carelse, says they battled for seven hours to extinguish the blaze and a firefighter was rushed to hospital.
He says: “Just after 10pm, firefighters managed to extinguish the blaze that razed about 18 informal structures and left over 30 persons displaced.
“The structure turned into a vegetation fire which ran towards Wingfield Army base. One fireman was hospitalised for heat exhaustion. The cause is yet to be confirmed.”