The Kamanga family who resides in Berger Street in Vorna Valley are still in shock after a fire ravaged their home on the night of 4 August.
One of their cars was also damaged in the fire and luckily the family had decided to go to a shopping centre for a bite at about 8pm, not knowing that a fire would damage half of their house and the garage 30 minutes later.
Read: Man burns to death after accidentally catching alight
Speaking to Midrand Reporter Naton Kamanga said while they were thankful that no one was hurt, they were not happy with the response time of the fire department and that they were not fully equipped. Midrand Fire Station’s fire truck is still being repaired and the fire department calls on fire stations near Midrand to assist if there is an emergency.
“We received calls from neighbours telling us to come home as our house was on fire,” said Kamanga. “I made an emergency call and the Diepsloot fire brigade showed up 50 minutes later and they ran out of water when they started putting out the fire and had to call for more water. In the meantime, the fire continued.”
Read: Emergency services rubbish claims of delayed response to Chartwell house fire
Kamanga pointed out that if the fire brigade had come on time the fire would have been contained before it destroyed a large part of his house and its contents.
He said they did not know how the fire started. “Neighbours told us they saw smoke and flames in the garage first. We did not have any electrical appliances on in the garage and the car was also not left running.”
While the family waits for their insurance to assess the damage, they continue to stay in the section of their house which was not damaged by the fire, but the smell of the aftermath of the fire hangs heavy in the air.
Read: Councillor alleges slow response by EMS to warehouse fire
Councillor Annette Deppe said she was concerned that Midrand Fire Station still did not have a functioning fire engine. “Someone could have died in the fire or the house burnt to the ground because the fire brigade could not come fast enough,” said Deppe.
Johannesburg Emergency Services spokesperson Robert Mulaudzi confirmed that Midrand Fire Station still relied on nearby stations for assistance but said the cause of the fire had not yet been established. He said, “The fire engine is still at a workshop for repairs and maintainance. We had to send a fire engine from nearby fire stations in that area. The normal response time is 15 minutes to 30 minutes on receiving the call. It also depends on factors such as traffic.”
Read: Delayed response from Lonehill Fire Department explained
In response to why the fire brigade allegedly ran out of water Mulaudzi said, “That’s what we hear every day when we respond to fire incidents. The fire engine does not carry unlimited water, it uses the water from the hydrant in the area. If there is no hydrant we will have to go fill up nearby.”
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