Forty-two people have been displaced after a fire destroyed their homes in Paarl.

It’s believed a man threw a petrol bomb at the structures sparking an inferno on Friday night.

The Drakenstein Municipality’s fire chief Derick Damons said: “We received a call to a number of shacks alight in Paarl east.”

Two adults suffered minor injuries.

They were treated at the scene and transported to a medical facility as a precautionary measure.

The police’s Noloyiso Rwexana said the suspect was apprehended shortly thereafter.

The municipality was issuing food parcels and blankets to the affected residents.

The site is also being cleared in order for housing kits to be provided.