Fire in Eldorado Park claims the life of a 79-year-old
"If we had our own fire engines, this man's life would have been saved."
City of Joburg Emergency Management Services has said that they would be on high alert for fires during this winter.
This is amidst very cold weather after a cold front hit the Western Cape last week.
City of Johannesburg’s EMS spokesperson, Robert Mulaudzi said that EMS planned on keeping a close eye on the city’s 180 informal settlements as the number of shack fires usually increased during this period.
Mulaudzi further stated that EMS would be ready to respond quickly should there be any incidents.
Since the beginning of winter, it is evident that fire incidents have increased.
A one-year-old baby died in a fire which destroyed approximately 120 shacks and left over 1 000 people in Marlboro homeless on July 15.
The fire was said to be caused by a stove according to a statement released by EMS.
On Monday, July 17, Keagan Anderson, a 14-year-old boy experienced what can only be described as traumatic after a fire engulfed the family home. Anderson’s grandfather died in an uncontrollable blaze on his birthday.
James Anderson (79), who is said to be slightly handicapped, lost his life in a fire at the family home in Eldorado Park Extension Three after an inferno all but destroyed their home.
Anderson said, “I remember taking the candle to my room and switching the light and TV off.”
According to Keagan, he woke up to the noise the fire made coming from the roof. “When I opened my head from underneath the blanket, I just saw flames.”
According to eyewitness Donald Schoeman, the one fire engine came from Orange Farm and the second one from Soweto. Now for most of the community, this situation leaves them baffled.
Eldorado Park has its own fire station; a place where it would seem natural to find a fire engine at the station at all times to be dispatched as quickly as possible in similar incidents.
In the Andersons’ case, there were no fire trucks available to provide speedy assistance and this has left residents fuming.
Residents at the scene asked, “Where are our fire engines? “If we had our own fire engines, this man’s life would have been saved.”
EMS spokesperson, Nana Radebe said, “They received the call at approximately 3 am and the fire engine arrived on the scene at about 3:20 am.”
She added that the reason for the response from the Eldorado Park Fire Station was that the one engine had broken down.
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