The case against Caroline Travers (52), accused of arson and attempted murder following a 2022 house fire in Birchleigh, resumed on November 27 in the Kempton Park Magistrate’s Court.

The charges relate to a blaze on March 12, 2022, at a property on Essenwood Avenue.

Travers allegedly set her home on fire in the early hours of the morning.

Her husband was rescued from the burning house but later died in the hospital.

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Fire expert Mathoni Mukona testified that she was called on March 12, 2022, to investigate the house fire. She was received at the Norkem Park Police Station by Warrant Officer van Wyk, who escorted her to the scene.

On arrival, Mukona inspected the structure and identified key patterns to determine the origin and cause of the fire. She noted the ventilation patterns in the lounge and bedroom and examined structural damage, including roof collapse, thermal cracks, and spalling caused by intense heat.

Mukona noted that although the bedroom suffered the most intense fire damage, evidence such as spalling and discoloration of the window frames indicated the lounge as the point of origin.

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After examining the scene, she ruled out appliance faults and natural causes, such as lightning, based on weather conditions at the time.

“After observation, the most probable cause of the fire was an open flame, an introduction of matches or lighters, which led me to conclude the fire was deliberate,” Mukona testified.

When questioned by the defence about whether a fire that got out of hand would still be considered deliberate, Mukona agreed that it was deliberate if it was started by someone.

Tendani Mzimba, a field agent for the SPCA, testified about his visit to the property on March 15, 2022, after being called by a neighbour about the fire.

Mzimba and a colleague inspected the house, which had been severely damaged by the blaze. They reported that animals had died in the fire.

“We went straight to the seating room, where the burglar door was broken and open. We went inside, but the rubble was too much, so we asked for a spade and started digging,” Mzimba said.

During the search, they found three dog cages in the lounge and a birdcage, which they took to the SPCA. A vet later identified the dogs.

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The defence highlighted that Travers reportedly owned only two dogs and questioned why three dogs were found in the house.

Mzimba explained that a colleague’s statement had noted two dogs, but the team ultimately discovered three during their investigation.

The matter was postponed to January 20, 2026, for further hearing.