SEVERAL shacks were burned to ashes and one person was killed in a fire on Sunday night.
Residents of Brown’s Farm in Philippi, Cape Town, watched helplessly as the raging fire ate their homes.
Bongiwe Matebese (37) said she was already asleep when she heard people screaming that there was a fire.
“I couldn’t believe it, but when I ran out I saw the fire was close to my shack. I ran for my life and did not manage to save any of my belongings,” she said.
One person was burned to death and his body was later found amid the remains of his shack.
The fire allegedly started in a double- storey shack, but when the owner was asked about it he said he was walking out with friends when it started and did not know what caused it.
The fire started at about 10pm.
Resident Noluvuyo Canzibe (41) said she suspected it was vutha as the flames were very powerful and throwing water on the fire only made it stronger.
Affected residents told the SunTeam they would rebuild their shacks as they had nowhere else to go.
Western Cape police spokesman Lieutenant-Colonel Andre Traut said: “An inquest docket was opened after a 32-year-old man died during a fire.”