Freak lightning strike causes blaze

While residents celebrated the drop in temperatures and subsequent rainfall on Friday evening, the owners of the Gillooly’s Function Centre and Cafe watched their business go up in flames.

Mrs Sheryl Damerell owns and runs the venue, which only opened for business again a few months ago.

The venue went up in flames early on Friday evening when lightning struck the thatch roof.

The spokesperson for the Ekurhuleni Disaster and Emergency Services (DEMS), Mr William Ntladi, said when emergency services arrived at the scene, firefighters from the Bedfordview Fire Station called the Edenvale and Primrose fire stations for assistance.

“Thatch roofing is always a challenge. Because it’s designed to stop water from leaking into the house, it becomes difficult to stop fires because no water can get through it,” said Mr Ntladi.

Firefighters on the scene had to remove the grass by hand to successfully extinguish the fire.

Mr Ntladi said there were 17 firefighters at the scene.

More back up engines were also called.

“We did this just in case we exhausted the hydrants on site,” he said.

Speaking to the NEWS at the scene, Mrs Damerell broke down.

“You cannot believe how much work and heart I’ve put into this place. It was doing so well and to lose it all just like this?” she said.