Photo: Angelo Kalmeyer, Cape Argus

Desperate act: A boy tries to douse what's left of his smouldering home after a fire destroyed about 20 shacks in the Joe Slovo informal settlement in Johannesburg, South Africa.

A delegation form World Burn Foundation Head Office in Beverly Hills, California had visited Joe Slovo in October 2003 while on a tour through the country.

It was pointed out to the Delegation that once one of the huts is set on fire a blazing fire is the result in most of the cases. Fire trucks have virtually no chance to reach the fires, because these informal settlements abide to no building regulations.

Photo: Tina Romanowski, World Burn Foundation Europe

Following the visit and a Burns Jamboree for Children from various parts of South Africa which was co hosted by the World Burn Foundation a group of determined individuals formed World Burn Foundation of Southern Africa on January 1st of this year.
WBFSA will install with several partner organizations and government offices as one of their services programs designed to reduce the risks of such fires.

Support WBFSA and it's programs by donating.

Elsewhere

Photo: Bernd Schoknecht, The Star

Up in flames: A passenger train travelling from Johannesburg to Randfontein catches fire outside the Roodepoort station. Metrorail's acting chief executive, Lauriette Modipane, says the cause of the fire has not been established, but investigations are under way.
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