A fire tore through homes in Masiphumelele, Cape Town, on the afternoon of January 20, 2026, leaving more than 600 people homeless. Community members climbed onto shack roofs to pass buckets of water in a bid to contain the blaze, but over 100 homes were gutted. The Living Hope organization is calling for donations of essential items to aid the victims.
The fire broke out in the informal settlement of Masiphumelele, prompting residents to scramble onto shack roofs and pass buckets of water in desperate efforts to curb the flames. By 8:20pm, when GroundUp reporters arrived, the blaze had been contained, and people were sifting through the remnants of their possessions, carrying bags of clothes and salvaging furniture along narrow pathways.
Resident Lubabalo Vellem was at work when he spotted the fire on social media and rushed home by train, only to find he had lost everything. He had also lost his home in a 2015 blaze in the same area that displaced more than a thousand people, and had spent recent years rebuilding.
A teenager and her sister stood near the fire engines. “We don’t even have clothes to wear. We are homeless now,” she said, describing how the wind drove the flames toward their houses. Her family spent the night at her aunt's place nearby.
Jermaine Carelse from Fire and Rescue Services reported that about 40 firefighters and three helicopters were deployed, containing the fire after 7pm. No serious injuries or deaths were recorded.
Candice Thomas, spokesperson for Living Hope, which is aiding victims, estimated more than 600 people affected and over 100 homes destroyed. Many had lost all their belongings. She appealed for public assistance with hygiene products, clothing, bedding, cooking equipment, and dry goods, which can be dropped off at Living Hope on Kommetjie Main Road.
The Western Cape has faced a string of devastating residential and veld fires over the past month, including in Khayelitsha, Dunoon, Cederberg, and Franschhoek. Teams are now on site in Masiphumelele to support families and evaluate the full damage.
