Fire destroys 600 shacks

Two people died and 600 shacks were destroyed in the Cape Winelands after a fire ripped through an informal settlement, a fire services official said on Friday. (Francois, Malherbe)

The blaze spread rapidly across a large area in Kayamandi , in Stellenbosch, in the early hours of Friday.(Lumko Jimlongo, Twitter)

Six hundred shacks were destroyed and 2 500 people left homeless. (Lumko Jimlongo, Twitter)

Shack fires are common in the Cape Town area, spreading quickly through the tightly packed shack areas and often fanned by strong winds. (Lumko Jimlongo, Twitter)

(Lumko Jimlongo, Twitter)