Fire leaves family with nothing
When he returned inside he found that the fire was already busy spreading to the rest of the house.
A family of three adults and nine children lost everything when their pre-fabricated house caught fire, allegedly because of an electrical fault in the main bedroom.
Widower Nick Groenewald, together with his children and grandchildren, has lived in this house for the past three years and never experienced a day’s trouble with the electricity.
However, things changed for the worst on Sunday 30 July, at about 5pm, when Nick’s grandchildren came running into the house, shouting something about a fire.
“I immediately went with them to investigate. It was one of our couches against the outside wall of the main bedroom that had caught fire.
I then heard the neighbours shouting something at us, and when I took a step back, I discovered that our entire roof was on fire,” he explained.
When he returned inside he found the fire already spreading to the rest of the house. He then immediately evacuated everybody and the fire department was called to the scene.
“As soon as the fire was exposed to more oxygen from outside the main bedroom, it took over the rest of the house. I saw everything being destroyed,” Nick said.
Read more: Don’t panic – more fire engines on their way
Due to the flammability of the insulation in the roof, the fire stretched to about one metre below the roof, heading towards the wooden floor. The smoke from the insulation is also extremely toxic when inhaled.
Even though Nick and his family are truly grateful for the fire department’s deliberate action, he explains that everything that wasn’t destroyed in the fire is water-damaged.
“I am so grateful for the fire department, as well as the fact that nobody got hurt. All my children, and our animals are safe, and I truly thank God for that,” he said.
His youngest grandchild is only a year old. Four of the nine children and grandchildren are still in local primary and secondary schools.
As Nick makes a living by doing odd gardening jobs – mowing lawns and trimming trees, it is especially hard to recover from this destructive fire. Therefore, Nick and his eldest daughters are willing to work very hard mowing lawns or cleaning houses to repair their home and restore electricity.
Should anyone feel the need to assist this family with odd jobs or donations of any sort, feel free to contact Nick on 079 050 9447. Donations can include anything from nappies and food to clothes and school stationery – anything and everything will help.
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