‘Hijacked’ house in CBD narrowly escapes inferno
The Courier has learned that several business people have expressed interest in buying the erf, but that their attempts have so far failed because the ownership of the property is yet to be established.
An abandoned house in Dundee’s CBD narrowly escaped being gutted by a grass fire last month.
The premises has gained a reputation for being a home to vagrants linked to copper pipe theft and other crimes in the Dundee area.
The Boundary Road house, directly opposite the police station, has been ransacked – most of its doors, pipes and windows are gone – and the long, unkempt garden quickly went up in flames when a fire broke out.
It is not clear how the fire started, but neighbouring businesses (including a mortuary and a chemist) were soon enveloped in acrid smoke that billowed up from the property.
Witnesses said that several people living in the house were seen running out of the property, carrying bags.
With the Fire Brigade attending to fierce fires elsewhere in the district, volunteers (including Courier representatives) were quickly at the scene.
A Doves funeral parlour employee used a bucket to help douse the flames that were being fanned by gusting winds.
There were concerns that a tall, dead palm tree in the garden would also catch alight, endangering the neighbouring property.
Fortunately, the prevailing winds appeared to take the flames away from the tree and the fire was successfully extinguished.
It is not clear who is responsible for the upkeep of the property.
However, it is understood that the house was ‘hijacked’ by homeless people during the Covid-19 lockdown when the premises became vacant after a tenant moved out.
FC Bester of the Endumeni Residents Association said he was shocked to learn of ‘such a situation’.
Bester said he will be giving feedback once the association has done an inspection.
There were similar reactions from security groups in town.
