Neighbourly support prevents home’s destruction
Had it not been for quick-to-act neighbours, the entire house could have burnt down
FOR Arboretum resident Clive Honman and his family, 2017 could have ended in total disaster after a fire that destroyed their entertainment area would have spread to the rest of their house had it not been for the heroic actions of their neighbours.
The fire broke out on 28 December.
‘It wasn’t long before everyone was out of bed, trying to fight the fire and calling the fire department,’ said Honman.
Neighbours also responded quickly and helped fight the fire, bringing with them a fire extinguisher.
They soaked the kitchen door with water to prevent the fire from entering the house, and the remains of the lapa thatch were also doused with water to prevent further damage.
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‘Absolute devastation was prevented by the quick actions of a young hero from next door, Jonathan Bosch, and Pieter van Vollenhoven who started using the water from the swimming pool – now fondly referred to as the fire pool – to extinguish what they could of the fire. The pool also came in handy to cool down in when the heat became too intense,’ said Honman.
Bosch was admitted to hospital for smoke inhalation,
‘If it was not for the actions of my neighbours, especially Jonathan and my son in-law Pieter, I would surely have lost my home,’ said Honman.
Concerns were raised over the water pressure which appeared lower than normal, leading to the pressure from garden hoses being insufficient to extinguish the fire.
On arrival at the scene, the fire department reportedly had to use the fire truck’s pump to boost pressure.
This raised questions of whether the municipality reduces water pressure at night.
City of uMhlathuze spokesperson, Mdu Ncalane, said level four restrictions are still in place, as has been the case for a while now, and no further water-saving measures have been, or are going to be, implemented.
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