A home on Flamimnk Street, Shalimar Ridge, was destroyed by a raging fire on April 20.
The occupants were inside the house during load-shedding and were making supper in the kitchen.
At about 19:00, one noticed that the thatched roof was on fire.
The neighbours and community members came to assist and tried to douse the flames with their garden hoses while waiting for Lesedi Fire and Rescue to arrive.
They removed the gas cylinders from the house to prevent further damage.
The fire department had to refill their truck and return because the blaze was too strong to douse it with the first truckload of water.
No one sustained injuries in the fire, but the conflagration destroyed the occupants’ belongings. Their vehicles were moved during the chaos, and the house’s occupants had to sleep in an outbuilding.
The CPF patrollers, AfriForum Heidelberg branch, Heidelberg Volunteer Medics and first responders were quickly on the scene to assist where they could.
When HERAUT returned to the property on April 21, some parts were still smouldering.
Investigations to establish the cause of the fire are underway.
