An Arboretum family’s weekend took a tragic turn for the worst when a fire destroyed their home in the early hours of Monday.
Having lost almost everything, the family is now forced to rebuild their home.
While it is not yet clear what caused the fire, the family was unharmed – managing to escape through a back door.
Speaking to Eyethu Bay Watch, uMhlathuze Ward 3 Councillor Henning de Wet, who visited the family after the incident, said they are trying to salvage what is left of their belongings.
“The incident occurred at around 1am.
“The family said they were sleeping and were woken by the dog barking. The father got up to the sound of glass breaking, which he thought was an intruder,” said De Wet.
“He made his way down the passage and opened the passage door which leads to the main house, where he saw smoke. He quickly got his family out of the house through the back door.
“Luckily, one of the bedrooms had a sliding door leading outside, otherwise they would have been trapped inside the house,” he said.
Following the incident, residents have rallied to assist the family, who have sought temporary shelter.
“Their house is not insured; they had to cancel [insurance] during Covid-19, so right now they basically have to start over,” said the councillor.
De Wet, who is chairperson of the Richards Bay Round Table 200, said they are collecting donations on behalf of the family to help them rebuild.
“We want to help where we can, and I can channel the assistance through both avenues – the Round Table and Council where there is disaster management which can also provide some support,” he said.
For more information or to assist, contact Cllr De Wet on 081 4336643.
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