Boksburg family escape house fire

A 28-year-old man was commended for his courage after saving a mentally ill boy from a burning house on Sky Street recently, Boksburg Advertiser reported.

Gino Wincent, who lives next door to the family, said: “I heard someone screaming ‘fire, fire’. I ran outside, and there was my neighbours’ house on fire. The window of the bedroom blew out at that point”.

Before the emergency services arrived, Wincent entered the bedroom that was alight and grabbed the boy to lead him to safety.

Wincent then used a garden hose to extinguish the fire before it spread to the other rooms, saving the family’s belongings.

Boksburg police and emergency services found the fire completely extinguished upon arrival.

The boy, 10, was then taken to hospital by an ambulance. It is understood he was only treated for smoke inhalation.

The boy’s two brothers managed to escape the fire on their own.

Apart from the smoke inhalation, no other injuries were reported.

The police are investigating.

This after a man was burnt beyond recognition during a house fire in Farrarmere, Benoni, on the East Rand.

Benoni police spokesperson Lieutenant Nomsa Sekele said police arrived at the Brooke Street house in November, where they found the man dead at the scene.

A woman, who was in the house when it caught fire, had been transported to the Netcare Linmed Hospital for smoke inhalation.

An inquest docket was opened at the Benoni Police Station.

– Caxton News Service