Relief operations are continuing for households affected by the recent fire in Dunoon Site 5, with City teams and non-profit partners working together to provide immediate assistance and stabilise the area following the incident.
Cape Town Mayor Geordin Hill-Lewis joined municipal teams and NPO partners on site to distribute essential items donated by residents across the city through fire station drop-off points. Councillor Carl Pophaim was also present as officials engaged directly with affected households.
City staff have completed registration and verification processes, recording 2,604 people and 632 structures impacted by the fire. These verified details have been submitted to national government to enable the urgent release of emergency reconstruction kits and additional relief support through the South African Social Services Agency.
The relief effort follows a major firefighting operation on 9 January, when Fire and Rescue Services worked in challenging windy conditions to contain the blaze. Two helicopters were deployed for water-bombing, helping prevent the fire from spreading to hundreds of neighbouring homes. No lives were lost during the incident.
Mayor Hill-Lewis said residents had expressed appreciation for the support received, highlighting the scale of public donations and the coordinated response. He acknowledged the role played by non-profit organisations, including Gift of the Givers, alongside firefighters and municipal staff who spent extended hours on site supporting affected residents.
In the days following the fire, teams cleared debris and began restoring basic services infrastructure. Multiple departments were involved, including Informal Settlements Management, Urban Waste Management, Disaster Risk Management, and Fire and Rescue Services.
An additional R12 million has been set aside to support re-blocking work aimed at creating safer access routes between households and reducing future fire risks. Contractors are on standby, with implementation dependent on community consent. Officials noted that some resistance remains, linked to frustration over historical delays by national government in rolling out formal upgrading programmes.
Councillor Pophaim said municipal officials continue to engage national authorities to fast-track the release of emergency rebuilding materials. He noted that the City previously provided this assistance directly to fire- and flood-affected informal settlements, allowing for quicker response times, but that centralisation at national level has slowed delivery.
Relief teams remain active in Dunoon Site 5 as efforts continue to support affected residents, restore services and strengthen fire mitigation measures while longer-term rebuilding processes are finalised.
