72-year-old rescued from blazing shack in Lawley
Four-roomed shack destroyed by fire.
A 72-year-old grandmother narrowly escaped death when she was rescued from a blazing shack in Lawley on August 12 .
According to Gloria Funani, the daughter of the grandmother, the fire was caused by one of her (Funani’s) children, who was playing with matches.
It is reported that when the fire broke out, the child fled, leaving the grandmother, who can’t walk, in the burning shack.
The grandmother (she didn’t wish to be named) was rescued by the neighbours, but they could not put out the fire and it destroyed Funani’s four-roomed shack.
Funani said she was grateful to her neighbours because if they hadn’t been around her mother could have been died in the fire.
“I wasn’t at home at the time of the fire. I only heard people screaming and shouting.
“I was just a few blocks away from home and someone came rushing saying, ‘Funani, your house is on fire!’
“As I entered the premises all I saw was my shack engulfed in flames. “All the documentation and cellphones are gone. Now I have to do things all over again,” said Funani.
Disaster management services visited Funani on August 13 to provide her and her family with food parcels, clothes and blankets.
After the fire, the family moved into an RDP house that they were supposed to move into in the coming three months.
One of the residents, Philip Moloi, said at least no life was lost and everyone was safe and sound.
“The elderly woman also survived and that is something we should be happy about. The child who is believed to have started the fire should get counselling of some sort,” said Moloi.
Five ways of preventing fire
1. Teach children about the dangers of fire and not to play with matches.
2. Be aware of the dangers of illegal and faulty electrical connections, which also cause fires.
3. Make sure candles cannot fall over, and don’t go to sleep with candles still burning.
4. Make sure the stove does not fall over as this may cause a fire.
5. Watch out for discarded cigarette butts.
*Tips provided by DispatchLive
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