Cigarette believed to be behind Cato Crest shack fire
eThekwini
Fire says a cigarette is suspected to have sparked a shack fire that gutted
more than 20 homes in Cato Crest.
The blaze which broke out on Bellair Road on Monday left dozens of people homeless.
Three weeks ago, a fire that ripped through Durban's Kennedy Road Informal settlement claimed the life of a woman and her 19-month old baby.
Last month a blaze, possibly started by a makeshift heater, gutted over 100 homes at the Dakota Informal Settlement in Isipingo.
Divisional Commander at eThekwini Municipality Fire and Emergency Services, Nkulumo Dube says firefighters on Monday worked for an hour to douse the flames.
He says investigations into the exact cause are still underway.
"It was reported that someone was smoking and apparently fell asleep and [we] don't know how he discarded the cigarette. He was then woken up by neighbours with his shack already on fire.
"It took us around 10 to 15 minutes to put the fire under control, but about an hour to fully extinguish the blaze."
Firefighters were also called to a road on the Bluff, where an elderly man lost his life in a house fire.
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