FIRE incidents are on the rise in Ekurhuleni.
Ekurhuleni Emergency Services spokesman William Ntladi said shacks and houses catching fire are a big concern.
Ntladi said his department has been responding to fire cases for the past three months.
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He urged residents not to leave open fires unattended.
"We attended a shack fire incident at Skosana Section in Katlehong, Ekurhuleni, on Wednesday, 2 August where a toddler was burnt and killed. The possible cause of their fire was an unattended two plates electrical stove.
"On Tuesday, 8 August a family home burnt into ashes while the family was away," Ntladi said.
He said in another incident on Tuesday, 15 August, a factory at Olifantsfontein Industrial site near Tembisa, Ekurhuleni went up in flames where a recycling material burnt for two days.
"We urged people to be extra careful and never leave candles, fires, imbawula, braai stands and heaters, unattended," he said.
Daily Sun has also published several stories of fires where kids and adults died in shack fires.
In Vila Lisa, Ekurhuleni a mum lost three kids in a shack fire on 29 May 2023.
Concerned resident Zamambo Mkhize (39) from Marathon informal settlement in Boksburg, Ekurhuleni said she lost everything when her three-roomed shack caught fire in June.
She said a 11 shacks were burnt to ashes when one of the residents left imbawula (brazier) unattended.
"Fortunately, no one was injured. But 15 families lost all their belongings."
Ntladi urged residents to report fire incidents in Ekurhuleni by calling 011 458 0911 or 10177.
