While the owners of the Gillooly’s Function Centre and Cafe will now work to rebuild what was once their livelihood, firefighters are still on the scene fighting the blaze.

The venue went up in flames earlier this evening when lightning struck the thatch roof.

Owner Mrs Cherly Demeral was also on scene.

She broke down while speaking to the NEWS. “You cannot believe how much work and heart I’ve put into this place. It was doing so well and to lose it all just like this?”

Spokesperson for Ekurhuleni’s Disaster and Emergency Services, Mr William Ntladi said there are firefighters on the scene.

“Upon arrival, Bedfordview fire station called for back up from Edenvale and Primrose fire stations. More backup engines are enroute bringing more water incase we exhaust the hydrants,” said Mr Ntladi.

At the scene, firefighters have to manually remove the thatch from the roof. “Thatch is a challenge. Water can’t get through because it’s designed to stop water from leaking into the house. We can’t use any cutters because the grass is tied to metal hence we have to manually take it down,” said Mr Ntladi.