A house in Driefontein was burned to the ground on July 14. Johan Schwartz, chairperson for the FPA in Muldersdrift said the A-frame house caught alight and the entire structure was engulfed in flames. “Luckily there were no injuries. The family that lives there were not injured at all.” The FPA along with the fire brigade responded to the scene, and the cause of the fire is still unknown.
It is imperative to check that all heating appliances are turned off and never left unattended. Fires in winter are almost always started because of appliances that were left unattended or not put out properly.
Robert Mlaudzi, spokesperson for Joburg EMS said when using gas heaters homeowners need to ensure that the gas bottle is safely connected to the heater. The regulator should be in order so that there are no leaks. “Check that your fire extinguishing systems such as smoke detectors, sprinklers, fire hose reels or fire extinguishers are in good working order. This equipment must be serviced regularly and needs to be readily available,” he advised.
