Empangeni home gutted by fire
Although the fire department responded quickly, very little could be done as the water in the area was off.
IT was a tragic end to the weekend for an Empangeni family as their home went up in flames on Sunday evening.
The house, situated on the corner of Hartebees and Waterbok streets caught alight just after 8pm when the heater in the main bedroom exploded.
Neighbouring residents raced frantically to the scene after the smoke filled the air.
‘We thought there were kids playing out on the road with fire crackers,’ said a nearby resident. ‘It was only after the smell of smoke came pouring into the house that we knew it was something serious.’
More panic broke out after the flames got dangerously close to a neighbour’s thatched roof.
Although the fire department responded quickly, very little could be done as the water in the area was off.
Firemen resorted to using the pool water, tank water and fire extinguishers.
After the roof over the main bedroom caved in and the fire seemed to die down, a second bedroom caught alight, forcing firefighters to use what little water they had available to put out the flames.
There were no injuries reported.
This was the home I grew up in. Very sad to see. My thoughts are with the family.