A fierce blaze on November 25 left a devastated couple with huge damage following a fire that razed their home.
This tragedy follows the South Crest couple’s house that was plagued by floods a year ago, during which they also suffered great losses.
The house was unoccupied during the time, except for the family dogs that escaped through the doggy door. The cause of the fire is still unknown.
SOG, CPS Security and emergency fire services were present during the incident.
Leopold Dussing and Cynthia Lock of the South Crest Residents Association also responded to the fire.
Homeowner Roelien van Zyl said, “I was struggling to drive from work after our neighbour told me the house was on fire. At the moment we’re looking for reasonable accommodation so that we can get on our feet. Everything else is flushed with water as the fire brigade extinguished the fire.”
She said any assistance towards helping them get back on their feet would be highly appreciated. They may be contacted at 083 708 2636.
Local officer saves the day
Ward 106 Clr Tim Denny thanked Michael du Plessis of SOG Security who acted immediately upon arrival to attempt bravely put out the blaze.
Denny said neighbours saw the fire and SOG Security responded. Upon arrival, he said Du Plessis courageously took on the fire, suffering from smoke inhalation.
“He had a hosepipe and started to spray. He braved the blaze until other members of the community helped. The damage is huge and we still don’t know how the fire started,” he said.
The selfless officer told the Alberton Record serving the community is a passion, not just an occupation.
“I was the first on the scene. I assessed the situation and I acted. The whole house was on fire. I could hardly see because of the smoke. We also had good Samaritans on the outside spraying water in,” he said.
He said he needed to save as much as possible.
