UPDATE: Cause of blaze unknown
RIEPEN PARK – A house has burned down in Riepen Park after the thatch roof caught alight.
UPDATE: 24 May 2016, 12pm – Nana Radebe, spokesperson for Johannesburg Emergency Services has said the cause of the blaze is still unknown.
Radebe said, ““The exact cause of the fire could not be determined upon investigation, however I can confirm that the thatch roof of the house caught on fire at around 20.25pm when Johannesburg Emergency Services first call was logged about the scene of the fire.”
UPDATE: 11PM, 23 May – An anonymous source at the scene of the burning house has told Rosebank Killarney Gazette that there had been a controlled fire in the house.
The caretaker, who lives up the road, speculated that the fire must have grown and the thatch caught alight.
He said the fire started in the fireplace and the flames leapt up, catching the thatched roof.
“The chimney started blowing off,” added the source. “That’s the only thing I heard.”
Ward 102 councillor David Potter said fire trucks came from Sandton, Rosebank, Randburg, Hunters Hill and eventually from Florida. He added that a resident informed him that one of the fire trucks arrived without water and that the firefighters initially struggled to connect to the fire hydrants on the road.
“It took over an hour from 8.30pm to get water from the neighbour’s perimeter wall onto the fire,” added Potter.
“A fourth fire truck arrived, [and firemen] threw a hose over the front wall to douse the fire.”
Emergency services spokesperson Nana Radebe said more information will be released as soon as their investigation has been concluded.
ER24 paramedics have said no injuries have been reported. The paramedics also said the exact cause of the fire is still unknown.
ORIGINAL REPORT:
A house has allegedly burned down in Riepen Park.
This according to a post to the Craighall Park Facebook page announcing that a house was on fire along Braemar Road.
Emergency services spokesperson Nana Radebe said a thatch roof caught fire.
Fire engines have been dispatched to the scene as well as water tanks.
“Apparently it is happening now, the fire brigade is there but I’m not sure if their equipment is up for it,” said Ward 90 councillor, Anthony Still.
Emergency services respond to the scene of the fire. pic.twitter.com/cKPvu7kbOz
— Ashley Lechman (@ironfistAsh) May 23, 2016
Paramedics arrive at the fire in Craighall Park .
This is an ongoing story.
More information will be released as it becomes available.
