PICS: Fires reduce Bluff and Montclair homes into ash

TWO separate house fire incidents last week have placed the spotlight on the issues at the Fire Department. After witnessing fires gutting their houses, two families are now tasked with rebuilding their homes from scratch.

Both fires occurred on Wednesday, October 20 and the homeowners, one on the Bluff and the other in Montclair, believe some of their belongings could have been spared had the Fire Department acted with urgency. Bluff-based Johan Snyman said all he could do on the fateful day was watch his home burn.

He said the delayed response cost his family everything they had in their home. The fire broke out at about 07:15. Firefighters had to remove overgrown grass and dig away sand from the fire hydrant to connect their pipe only to realise that it was not working.  

“The Fire Department arrived with an empty water truck and then they had to wait for another truck before they could extinguish the fire. Twenty minutes later, the whole house had burned down. There is nothing left, we had no insurance,” he said.

He said he was sure nothing was on appliance wise, as they had not used any in the morning before they left the house. He questioned why the fire hydrant was not working. Asked how he was feeling all he could muster was, “I’ve got nothing to say”.

“I am very pedantic about switching off appliances. If there was water, the fire could have been put out, all we could do was just stand and watch the house burn down. We have got nothing but the clothes on our backs. We have to start all over again,” he said.

The homeowner in Montclair, who asked not to be named shared the same sentiments. He said what happened to him and his family was really unfortunate but was glad that there were no lives lost.

“I do need to note the dismal response time of the emergency services. Arrival was approximately an hour after the initial call. That is very worrying.”

“With that shared, thank you to the team from Fire Rescue Prospecton for moving swiftly upon arrival to save what they could. That also is another concern as they had to come all the way from Prospecton because the closer teams were not able to assist due to operational issues,” he said, thanking the neighbours who assisted while they waited for emergency services.

The municipality’s spokesperson, Msawakhe Mayisela, refuted claims that the fire hydrant on Bluff Road was not working. He said that there are two other functioning hydrants within approximately 50m to 70m from the house which could have been accessed by the Fire Department.

“This call was received at 07:23 by the Jacobs Fire Department and we were in attendance at 07:34. At that point, the fire had already vented itself through the roof. Mobeni Fire Station also attended and used both fire appliances first aid tanks to deal with that house fire.”

“There was nothing the brigade could do to save that house as the roof had collapsed, meaning we could not deploy internal firefighting crews. The hydrant was not an issue and, in any case, had the brigade had a need for additional water supply, we would have mobilised our water carrier for additional water supply.”

“The reason that we did not mobilise this vehicle (water carrier) is the indication that the brigade has sufficient water supply. The fire hydrant is fully operational,” he said.

Mayisela also refuted claims that the department took long to respond to the house in Montclair. He said firefighters do the best they can to assist in emergencies.

He said the call was received at 16:44 and transferred to dispatch at 16:45. He passed his sympathies to the two families.

“However, our hydrants are not to blame. We continue to urge residents to make use of our emergency numbers.” report fires as soon as they start. Our trained personnel will always be on hand to assist,” he added.

The Bluff couple’s daughter, Alizan Griffiths, has set up a GoFundMe page, click here to access it. Alternatively, call Johan Snyman on 083 896 1123 to pledge your assistance.

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