A fire erupted on West Street in East Town on September 4, engulfing a double garage in flames. Fortunately, no casualties were reported, though the incident posed challenges for emergency responders.

Upon arrival, one of the City of Johannesburg (CoJ) firefighters collapsed on scene. Fortunately emergency medical services were promptly called, and COMed personnel treated the firefighter on scene.

Additionally, two other firefighters suffered minor heat exhaustion, but were quickly rehydrated and recovered well.

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The firefighting operation was a co-ordinated effort between SCP Private Search and Rescue and Fire OPS SA, working closely to contain the blaze.

Clive Maher, director of SPC Security, provided insight into the response.

“We received the call about the house fire and immediately dispatched our units. When we arrived, the garage was heavily engulfed in flames. The doors were locked and securely closed, so our team had to break through to access the fire.”

Initially, they fought the fire using garden hoses from the property. After locating a fire hydrant on the pavement, they connected hoses and managed to bring the fire under control, within approximately 40 to 45 minutes. Teams kept hosing down the area to prevent any recurrence.

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Maher also noted that the double garage appeared to have been used as a living space.

A neighbour reported hearing an explosion just before the flames broke out. “Based on that, we can narrow it down to a gas canister that exploded,” Maher said.

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