Ekurhuleni firefighters find charred body in Benoni shack blaze

City of Ekurhuleni Disaster & Emergency Management Services crews found a charred body inside a shack at an informal settlement in Benoni after responding to a late-night blaze, officials said.

What happened

Spokesperson Tikkie MacDonald said the department received a call about the shack fire at about 11:03pm on Saturday. Firefighters from the Benoni and Brakpan fire stations were dispatched immediately.

By the time crews arrived, the single shack had already been extinguished by community members using a bucket-brigade method. Firefighters continued with damping down operations to prevent re-ignition.

Victim and investigation

During damping down, crews discovered the charred body of an unknown African male, believed to be a foreign national, inside the shack. The deceased was declared dead on scene by Gauteng Emergency Medical Services paramedics.

Gauteng Forensic Pathology Services removed the body and the scene was handed over to the South African Police Service (Saps), who will open an inquest docket. Fire investigators were also called to the scene to determine the cause of the fire, which is currently unknown.

Official safety warning

“The City of Ekurhuleni urges residents to exercise extreme caution with open flames, candles, paraffin stoves and illegal electrical connections, especially during winter.”

Separate hay-bale warehouse fire

MacDonald said City of Ekurhuleni Disaster & Emergency Management Services also attended a warehouse fire involving hay bales at a farm in Klippoortjie, Germiston. Firefighters were dispatched at approximately 07:05 after reports of the warehouse fire. On arrival, crews found a warehouse with hay bales alight and commenced firefighting operations.

The cause of that fire is also currently unknown and fire investigators are on scene, MacDonald said.

Reporting details

This account is based on statements released by the City of Ekurhuleni Disaster & Emergency Management Services and quoted remarks by Tikkie MacDonald. The department’s initial report was published on 17 August 2026.