Fire Devastates Johannesburg Informal Settlement, No Injuries Reported

Fire Devastates Johannesburg Informal Settlement, No Injuries Reported

  • The Johannesburg Emergency Management Services fought a fire that spread through an informal settlement in Johannesburg
  • The incident took place in Selby near the Johannesburg CBD, and it is not clear what caused the fire
  • Some South Africans believed that the fire was karma for South Africans who laughed at the LA fires

Tebogo Mokwena, a Briefly News journalist in Johannesburg, South Africa, covered accidents, fires, outbreaks, nature, weather and natural disaster-related incidents at Daily Sun and Vutivi Business News for seven years.

A fire ripped through an informal settlement in Johannesburg
Scores were displaced when a Johannesburg fire destroyed an informal settlement. Image: Emmanuel Croset/ AFP via Getty Images
Source: Getty Images

JOHANNESBURG — No lives have been lost in a fire that spread through an informal settlement near the Johannesburg CBD on 27 January 2025.

Fire guts informal settlement in Johannesburg

According to eNCA, the fire ripped through an informal settlement in Selby near the Johannesburg CBD. Nobody was injured. The cause of the fire is not known. A video of the incident shows distressed residents escaping the fire and trying to salvage their belongings.

Read also

Mpumalanga SAPS arrests 2 suspects related to burning of 47 Putco buses, SA happy

Watch the video here:

Similar informal settlement fires

A fire destroyed shacks in an informal settlement in Johannesburg
Firefighters battled a fire in Johannesburg. Image: Emmanuel Croset/ AFP via Getty Images
Source: Getty Images

South Africans discuss the fire

Netizens on Facebook remarked that the fire was karma.

Warren Brown said:

"I wonder how many people from LA are gonna come here and laugh at them. Not so funny when it's happening to you or your family, is it?"

Bettie Steyn said:

"That's what happens when you laugh at those people in LA."

Truthfully Hurts said:

"Africans were laughing at the LA fires and then boom, karma strikes."

Dan Naidoo said:

Read also

UK man hilariously attempts to haggle in South Africa, Mzansi react

"The ANC has converted most of South Africa into a squatter camp."

John Nkumise said:

"Informal settlements have never been safe and will never be safe."

Djehuti Tlhavani said:

"Shame on you, Ramaphosa. Shame on your GNU."

Gauteng fires displace thousands

In a similar article, Briefly News reported that two fires that broke out in Gauteng in September 2024 destroyed over 800 homes, leaving more than 2600 people homeless. One person was killed by one of the blazes.

A fire broke out at the Cemetery View Informal Settlement in Pretoria, displacing over 2000 people. More were displaced when a fire broke out in an informal settlement in Jeppestown, Johannesburg.

PAY ATTENTION: Сheck out news that is picked exactly for YOU - click on “Recommended for you” and enjoy!

Source: Briefly News

Authors:
Tebogo Mokwena avatar

Tebogo Mokwena (Current Affairs editor) Tebogo Mokwena is a Current Affairs Editor at Briefly News. He has a Diploma in Journalism from ALISON. He joined Daily Sun, where he worked for 4 years covering politics, crime, entertainment, current affairs, policy, governance and art. He was also a sub-editor and journalist for Capricorn Post before joining Vutivi Business News in 2020, where he covered small business news policy and governance, analysis and profiles. He joined Briefly News in 2023. Tebogo passed a set of trainings by Google News Initiative Email: tebogo.mokwena@briefly.co.za