A pilot project, in partnership with Mandoval Vermiculite, will coat at least 300 informal structures in Overcome Heights, Cape Town, with a fire-retardant substance over the next six months. 

This represents between 10% and 15% of the settlement.                                 

Mandoval Vermiculite first demonstrated its product during a simulation at the Epping fire station in 2021.

The pilot project in Overcome Heights will see the company provide the funding for the product, machinery and training, while Cape Town’s Disaster Risk Management Centre will fund the employment of 11 persons from the local community through the Expanded Public Works Programme (EPWP).

The team will endeavour to apply the fire-retardant product under the supervision of Mandoval staff and a city project manager.

The aim is to help limit the spread of fire when it occurs, thus minimising the risk of injury, death and damage to infrastructure, property and the environment.

“We grapple with the risks of fire on a daily basis, particularly in our informal settlements, and so education and awareness have long formed part of our plans to mitigate these risks,” says City of Cape Town Safety and Security MMC JP Smith.

“The growth of areas of informality is an international phenomenon, and housing projects are unlikely to be able to keep up with the growing demand for formal housing. 

“It is thus imperative to work towards mitigating the risk of fires in informal areas, and save lives and property in the process.”

Overcome Heights has a high potential for large-scale fire incidents, which is why it was selected as the site for the pilot project.

In this year, to date, there have been eight fires in the area. 

In 2022, 20 fires were recorded, and ten in 2021.

Mandoval Vermiculite has provided five days of practical training to the EPWP workers on how to apply the vermiculite product, which will include occupational, health and safety training.

Vermiculite is a hydrous phyllosilicate mineral which undergoes significant expansion when heated.

Should the pilot project prove to be successful in preventing the spread of fires, it is hoped that funding could be secured by Informal Settlements Management within the Human Settlements Department, either through public or private channels, to fund similar projects in other parts of the city.