Emergency services raced to contain a serious house fire at the corner of Kowie Road and Baleta Avenue on the morning of February 25, with four fire engines and multiple emergency response teams deployed to the scene.

The blaze broke out at a two-storey residential property with a thatched roof, a feature that complicated firefighting efforts.

Read more: House catches fire in Randpark Ridge

Ethan Oppenheim from ER24, who was on scene, said the thatching caused the fire to spread rapidly and created a collapse risk as crews worked to douse the flames.

“With the thatched roof, it is quite problematic. The fire spreads very quickly, and it collapses as you try to put the fire out,” Oppenheim said.

Three fire engines from the City of Johannesburg, identified as engine 20, engine 30 and engine 11, were joined by a private fire service and CERS, a private firefighting organisation.

ER24 attended with two vehicles, including a rescue unit and a community management vehicle. Netcare was also placed on standby.

The cause of the fire had not been confirmed at the time of reporting.

Also read: Ward councillor worries about the state of Randburg Fire Station

Oppenheim noted that the property appeared to be overcrowded, with living arrangements that extended into the garage. “In the garage, it looks like about three people have moved in and currently reside there,” he said.

Two people were inside the building when the fire broke out. Both were assessed by ER24 paramedics and found not to require hospitalisation. They signed a refusal of hospital transport form after being fully evaluated.

Oppenheim said the focus had shifted from salvaging the property to simply extinguishing the fire.

“What has burnt is, unfortunately, already gone,” he said

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