The mystery behind the Brandvlei Prison fire has been a hot topic, and not in the ‘latest gossip’ kind of way, but more of a ‘what on earth happened?’ kind.
What caused the Brandvlei Prison fire?
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The Brandvlei Prison fire, initially sparked by a minor blaze in a corrugated storage unit, escalated, affecting the prison’s agricultural stores, on Monday afternoon.
Despite the potential for disaster, no casualties were reported, thanks in part to the swift relocation of inmates to prevent smoke inhalation.
“The cause of the fire remains under investigation. CWDM has pledged to keep the public updated with any significant developments through their official channels.” Cape Winelands District Municipality spokesperson Jo-Anne Otto confirmed in a statement.
On Tuesday, the municipality confirmed that efforts were still underway, a day later, to contain an active fire line that descended from Brandvlei Mountain overnight.
“Supported by the Breede Valley Municipality Fire Services, they (firefighters) are employing recognised firefighting techniques to redirect the fire’s path. There have been no further reports of structural losses, and adequate resources have been deployed to ensure ongoing structure protection throughout the night,” the statement read.
Cape Town fire incidents reach record-breaking numbers
While an official cause of the inferno has yet to be unveiled, it adds to the Western Cape’s recent battles with record-breaking fire incidents this summer.
A recent report by Swisher Post revealed a 12% rise in fire occurrences from October 2023 to January 2024, totalling 13 087 incidents, setting a record for the most hectic period in the last four years.
In particular, the statistics recently released by the City highlighted an uptick in vegetation fires which accounted for 55% of the total fire incidents in Cape Town.
Diving into the different types of fire incidents, it’s clear that not all flames are created equal. Vegetation fires took the lead with a blazing 7 190 incidents, showing a fiery increase of 19% from the year before.
Meanwhile, residential fires split between the informal and formal sectors painted a picture of concern with 851 and 699 incidents respectively.
While the numbers suggest a slight decrease in residential fires compared to last year, they still highlight an area smouldering with issues, especially against the backdrop of increasing loadshedding, illegal electricity connections, and other fire-starting culprits.