Scores of people were left homeless after a fire destroyed hundreds of shacks in an informal settlement in Hout Bay in the Western Cape in the early hours of Sunday.

Cape Town fire and rescue services spokesperson Jermaine Carelse said firefighters responded to the blaze in Imizamo Yethu at 2.18am.

Carelse said Hout Bay firefighters responded, but had to call for more resources after a “swirling wind” created havoc.

He said about 80 firefighters from 14 different fire stations, with a total of 20 firefighting appliances, battled the blaze.

The fire was extinguished at 11.48am.

Carelse said one firefighter was treated for smoke inhalation while hundreds of people were displaced. An assessment of the situation was ongoing.

In a separate incident in Makhaza, three people were killed after an informal structure caught fire.

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