Watch: Disaster Risk Management Centre (DRMC) launched a fire mitigation pilot project

South Africa - Cape Town - 11 July 2023 - The City’s Disaster Risk Management Centre (DRMC) launched a fire mitigation pilot project in collaboration with Mandoval Vermiculite Pty Ltd. The project commenced in the Overcome Heights informal settlement near Seawinds with the application of a fire-retardant substance called vermiculite to at least 300 informal structures in the Lavender Hill area. Fire is a serious hazard in shack settlements in South Africa. It has been argued that on average in South Africa over the last five years there are ten shack fires a day with someone dying in a shack fire every other day. The vermiculite product was tested at a simulated event at the Epping fire station in 2021, which demonstrated its benefit in reducing the spread of shack fires. Mandoval Vermiculite Pty Ltd will provide the funding for the product, machinery, and training for the project, while the DRMC will fund the employment of 11 persons from the local community through the Expanded Public Works Programme (EPWP). Photographer: Armand Hough / African News Agency(ANA)