An elderly man was critically injured and his pets killed in a devastating house fire in Lezonia, on the outskirts of Centurion, in Tshwane.

According to Cert-SA, the man and another person were rescued from the flames on Friday night.

Tragically, the fire claimed the lives of a beloved cat and dog, and destroyed the home, Cert-SA says.

According to Emer-G-Med, the elderly man sustained critical burn wounds.

“The man, in his 70s, was found to have sustained critical burn wounds and was treated and stabilised on the scene before being taken to a nearby hospital for further care.”

The circumstances surrounding the fire are being investigated by the police.

Know what to do if a fire occurs:

• Crawl low in smoke
• Never open a door that is hot to the touch
• Wake everyone in the house up
• If your clothing catches fire, ‘stop, drop and roll’
• Have a safe place to meet outside the house
• Never re-enter the house for pets or personal belongings