The City of Cape Town says statistics for the last three-and-a-half years show that substance abuse and negligence feature far too prominently as a cause of fires.
Between January 2015 and June 2018, there were 511 fire-related fatalities in Cape Town.
Statistics indicate that half of the victims were adult males, 46% of fatalities happened over weekends, while 58% of fatalities occurred between midnight and 6am.
Mayoral Committee Member for Safety and Security, JP Smith, says they are gravely concerned by the trends emerging from fire fatality statistics gathered over the last few years.
“We’ve indicated time and again that negligence and substance abuse play a role in a number of fires that our staff respond to. This statistical analysis supports this assertion, which means that we will have to further increase our public education and awareness drives. However, we also appeal to the public to assist us by being more vigilant around flammable materials at all times.”
