A devastating fire tore through the Kijabe Lodge on Friday, destroying it in under an hour.

The blaze began at around 8:30am on the property, which is located on Addington Farm between Tinley Manor and Blythedale, and includes the family home of John and Jacqui Wilkes, most of which was also destroyed.

Owner John Wilkes was alerted by staff members who noticed smoke and flames emerging from the house.

“The fire was bad, it spread quickly,” said John.

While the family did their best to remove valuables, they were forced to flee when the ceiling collapsed.

“We managed to save some of our possessions, but we still lost a lot. At least nobody was hurt,” said John.

Despite the traumatic experience, John said he was grateful to those who came to their aid, which included family, friends, tenants and emergency services.

“I want to say a sincere thank you to KwaDukuza Fire and Emergency Services from Stanger; they arrived in 17 minutes. Thank you to everyone who came to help, it was a very humbling experience,” he added.

He also thanked his friend, electrician Rowan Springs, for his help following the fire.

KwaDukuza Fire & Emergency Services’ Divisional Officer North, Anash Naidoo, noted the isolated location of the lodge posed challenges.

“There are no fire hydrants, so two trucks and a water tanker had to be sent. We used 6 000 litres of water when most house fires need only 2 000 litres to extinguish,” he explained.

The fire is believed to have started in a bedroom on the far side of the house, before spreading through adjoining rooms. The exact cause remains unknown but at this stage, but it is thought to be electrical.

• Note: This story has been updated since first being published on October 4. At the request of the family, the story has been changed to reflect the fact that the entirety of the family home was not destroyed as initially reported and that the fire is believed to have started in a bedroom as opposed to the lounge. To that end, the headline was changed from “Fire destroys Kijabe Lodge and family home near Blythedale” to “Fire destroys Kijabe Lodge and damages family home near Blythedale.”

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