Fire at guesthouse: Owner speaks

It has come to light that five families were affected and the damage is estimated to be around R5 million after the fire at the Wild West Guest House in Greenhills Extension 3 on the weekend of 5 July.

According to Deon Barnard, owner of the guesthouse, “The families affected by the fire immediately received help from friends, family and residents of Randfontein.”

Barnard confirms that the damage is close to R5 million.

“This includes the damage to every family’s personal belongings as well as to the property itself,” Barnard says.

The herald also received comment regarding the incident from Wiekus Myburgh, Manager of the West Rand District Municipality’s Emergency Services.

Although residents of the area feel that the way fire department staff did their job at the scene was not applaudable, Myburgh explains that on the contrary the Randfontein Fire Department did everything in their power to extinguish the fire.

“Randfontein Emergency Services arrived at the scene with 2 000 litres of water and immediately attempted to stop the blaze,” Myburgh says.

He explains that the whole of the northern part of the building already was ablaze and so was a section of the southern part. Because of the thatch roof it was virtually impossible to contain the fire.

“The closest hydrant was buried underground and there was no time for the firefighters to try and reach it as the wind was strong and the fire was spreading to other areas on the premises. Therefore, they used the pillar- or post-type hydrant on Sidney Carter Street to refill the fire tender,” Myburgh explains.

While the Randfontein Fire Department was busy filling the fire tender, Mogale City Response Station staff arrived on scene and started to help.

Myburgh adds that even a floatable pump was used in the swimming pool to provide water to the firefighters while the fire tender was being filled at the hydrant.

“When the Westonaria Response Station staff arrived on scene, there were enough personnel to open the closest hydrant to ensure direct supply to the fire tenders,” Myburgh adds.

However, by that time most of the units on the property had been consumed by the blaze.

Fire at guest house shakes Randfontein

Several families were affected by a fire that broke out at the Wild West Guest House in the area this past weekend. Their homes went up in flames when a blaze occurred on Saturday afternoon around 2.30pm.

According to residents of the guest house the fire started when sparks from a grinder, which a neighbour allegedly was using, set alight the grass on an empty lot behind his home.

Due to strong winds, the fire quickly spread to the unit at the far end of the guest house and within minutes it was consumed by the blaze.

Residents of the guest house explain that all the units that burnt down had thatch roofing. Bystanders say the fire spread rapidly.

By the time the Randfontein Fire Department arrived at the scene the first unit had been burnt down completely. Firefighters immediately turned their hoses on the fire but soon ran out of water.

Bystanders explain that the fire truck left the scene several times to get water – this while there was a fire hydrant not more than 100 metres from the scene.

Soon Krugersdorp Fire Department as well as Westonaria Fire Department trucks arrived at the scene and assisted the Randfontein Fire Department. By this time all the thatch-roof units on the premises were consumed by the blaze.

Despite firefighters from all three fire departments working tirelessly to try and extinguish the fire, it was to no avail. Fortunately no one was injured in the fire. All animals and residents were evacuated before the fire got to intense.

Residents, however, feel that if the Randfontein Fire Department had used the fire hydrant close by instead of leaving the scene to fetch more water, they could have contained the fire before it could spread to the second building on the premises.

Several bystanders also explained that the Krugersdorp and Westonaria Fire Departments used the fire hydrant close by, which raised the question as to why the Randfontein Fire Department did not do the same in the first place.

The Randfontein Herald is awaiting comment from the Randfontein Fire Department and will publish it in due course.

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