This weekend, Cape Town firefighters responded to 48 informal structure fires and nine people died in a 24-hour period from the early hours of Saturday to Sunday. Cape {city} etc reports.

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The Fire and Salvage Service, along with all other justice COMPLETION agencies, they were reserved very occupied.

“It was a grim weekend for our firefighters as they battled 48 informal structure fires in which nine people lost their lives,” said JP Smith, a member of the Mayor’s Committee for Safety and Security.

“I want to send my condolences to my families. Fires are devastating and traumatic for everyone involved. As we head into summer and much warmer temperatures, I want to encourage residents to be cautious at all times with open flames, whether they are fires, candles or cooking methods.

“Squatting creates a number of challenges for the city and that includes our emergency and enforcement responses to incidents. Our officers are on the scene in record time but are hampered by other factors such as access. Current legislation urgently needs to be amended to prevent the proliferation of land invasions, which exacerbate fire risks.’

In the first incident, four people died of burns in an early morning fire on Manuel Street in Wallacedene on Saturday. Three of them were children.

At 4.40am, firefighters extinguished a fire in Bida Crescent, Victoria Mxenge, and discovered the death of a man and a woman.

Around 4:50 a.m., firefighters responded to a Wendy’s house fire in Epping Forest, where they discovered the body of a juvenile under the wreckage. Two more people were displaced, but uninjured.

Just after midnight on Sunday, an emergency call was received reporting structures on fire near Chris Hani High School in Khayelitsha.

By 1:45 a.m., the fire was out, but two adults, whose sex was not known, died of burns.

All these cases have been handed over to the South African Police Service for further investigation.

In terms of law enforcement, 298 people were detained by city authorities over the past week on various charges.

Traffic authorities detained 52 people, 36 for driving under the influence, 11 for reckless and negligent driving and five for other offences.

They recorded 56,923 crimes, seized 226 public transport vehicles and executed 2,040 arrest warrants.

On the N1 northbound late Saturday night, a traffic policeman was injured in a hit and run just before the Okovango Bridge while assisting at the scene of a fatal accident involving a motorcyclist and a pedestrian.

The driver of the white bakkie that hit the officer fled the scene.

Law enforcement arrested 199 people for possession of drugs, ammunition and deadly weapons.

Metro police arrested 47 people and issued 3,223 fines.

This weekend, the Public Emergency Communications Center received 1,813 calls, including 147 cases of assault, 62 motor vehicle accidents and 47 complaints of domestic violence.

Residents are reminded to report any criminal activity or emergency by contacting PECC on 021 480 7700 from a mobile phone or 107 from a landline.

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Image: JP Smith / Facebook