Charred body found after multiple shack fires in L & J informal settlement

Emergency crews discovered the charred remains of a man after multiple shacks caught fire at the L & J Informal Settlement in Olifantsfontein. Crews arrived early on Sunday, 19 July 2026, after several calls reporting shacks alight.

Fire crews contain blaze; body found during damping down

City of Ekurhuleni Disaster & Emergency Management Services spokesperson Tikkie MacDonald said firefighters were dispatched at approximately 06:05 to the settlement following reports of several shacks on fire. On arrival, crews found multiple shacks engulfed in flames, and worked to contain and extinguish the blaze.

MacDonald said the flames were successfully prevented from spreading to neighbouring shacks. During damping down operations, the charred remains of a male, believed to be in his early thirties, were found inside one of the shacks.

“The individual was declared deceased on scene by Gauteng Emergency Medical Services paramedics,”

MacDonald said. She added that the cause of the fire is currently unknown and that Fire Investigators have been dispatched to the scene to establish the cause. Gauteng Forensic Pathology Services removed the body, and the scene was handed over to the South African Police Service for further investigation.

Separate fatal shack fire in Katlehong

MacDonald also described a separate incident in Ekurhuleni in which a man in his thirties died when a two-room shack caught fire in Moleleki Extension 2, Katlehong. She said firefighters from the Zonkezizwe Fire Station were dispatched at approximately 04:18 on Saturday, 18 July 2026.

On arrival, crews found a two-bedroom shack well alight, with community members attempting to extinguish the fire using the bucket brigade method. Firefighters extinguished the blaze and prevented it from spreading to two other shacks in the same yard.

Investigation ongoing

In the L & J settlement case, authorities continue their inquiries: fire investigators and the South African Police Service are examining the scene to determine the cause.