Concerns remain after CT sees drop in wildfires

CAPE TOWN - There has been a drop in wildfires in Cape Town over the past year but structural fires remain a concern.

During the 2016/2017 year, there were more than 8,000 fires.

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This year the figure dropped by almost a thousand to about 7,200 fires.

During the same period, fires at formal and informal residences, commercial, industrial and storage facilities increased with 47 fatalities. Mayoral committee member JP Smith says this remains a concern.

“The increase in fires at informal homes and several businesses is a concern. It raises questions about the fire safety measures being implemented, or not as the case may be, by property owners. The number of fires at informal dwellings remain within the same range. It’s disappointing that we have not seen a bigger drop.”

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