Newly built home ravaged by fire
ILLOVO – A double storey home in Illovo, which was newly-built with occupation set to take place within a few days, burnt down on 3 March.
According to concerned neighbours talking among themselves in the street, the family who owned the house was meant to move in on 7 March.
No injuries were reported and the cause of the fire is unknown at this stage, however, there was speculation around the welding which was being done to waterproof the rooftop at the time the fire erupted from the trusses underneath.
A neighbour, who asked not to be named, said he immediately left his office as soon as he heard about the incident shortly after 1pm. His gardener had alerted him after he saw smoke and he feared the fire was spreading to surrounding properties.
“From the highway, the M1 south, it’s easy to spot this vicinity because you just look for the Wanderers floodlights,” the neighbour continued.
“The smoke was just intense. It was billowing up everywhere and I panicked. I knew it was something very serious.
“When I arrived here, I saw the fire trucks also start to arrive, I actually followed one from Corlett Drive. But they were too late, their [his future neighbour’s] house was gone already.”
The group of neighbours and witnesses gathered around the smouldering property and spoke of how quickly the fire spread, causing the entire roof to collapse onto the top floor ‘within minutes’.
The owners, who arrived after the firefighters brought the fire under control, declined to comment or have photos taken from inside their property.
Spokesperson for Johannesburg Emergency Services, Nana Radebe, confirmed the incident.
“A preliminary investigation has been launched to discover the source of the fire,” said Radebe.
Details: Johannesburg Emergency Connect 011 375 5911.
