MANY residents were left homeless after their shacks were destroyed by fire on Saturday, 4 November.
Some residents said that they lost everything and left with what they were wearing.
The residents said the painful thing was that their documents were destroyed.
The residents said more than 40 shacks at Plastic View east of Tshwane burnt down.
The residents allege the fire might have been started by a stove at about 4am.
Resident Robert Muza (40) said they are still shocked about what happened.
"We are trying to pick up pieces, and we don't have anything," he said.
Junior Madolo (28) said that they saw smoke coming inside their shacks.
"We heard a big noise. I suspect there was a bust. And we struggled to stop the fire," he said.
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Henry Ndlovu (31) said: "I don't know whether it's a candle or stove which started the fire."
He said they tried to save their belongings, but it was difficult.
Some residents were starting to rebuild their shacks.
Hlubikazi Ntshobane, community liaison officer of Gift of the Givers, said: "This is a terrible situation. We have blankets, clothes and mattresses to assist with."
City of Tshwane Emergency Services spokesman Deputy Chief Charles Mabaso said the department responded to a fire incident involving 45 shacks at Plastic View informal settlement on Saturday.
He said one patient was treated and transported for smoke inhalation and moderate injuries.
Mabaso said three others were treated for minor injuries on the scene but refused transport to a medical facility.
He said 250 people lost shelter and personal belongings because of the fire.
"Emergency services responded to the scene after 4:33am and arrived on the scene to find multiple shacks on fire and immediately started with firefighting operations while protecting scores of unburnt shacks from being affected. The fire was contained and subsequently extinguished," he said.
Mabaso further said the emergency services will intensify public awareness campaigns at this informal settlement as part of continuous education to the communities on fire safety and disaster risk reduction.
He said Tshwane Emergency Services Department Disaster Management, together with the city’s Community and Social Development Department, are coordinating relief efforts for the affected.
"The cause of the fire is still under investigation," Mabaso added.
