Woodlands family need help after fire destroys home
Resident recalls events leading to this terrible ordeal.
WHAT started as a normal Sunday morning, soon turned into a nightmare for a Woodlands grandmother and her family as they had to flee their home as a fire raged through parts of it. Connie Govender, 65, of Radcliffe Road, was getting ready to leave for church with her four grandchildren, aged 13, 11, three and two. Her husband, 64, was going to remain at home.
“It was about 07:30, and I had just got the two younger children ready. They were all in the lounge, and the two olders boys were feeding them their porridge. My husband, who had a stroke 23 years ago was also with them.
“I had already opened the house door and gate, and was grabbing everything I needed to take, when I realised I did not have my headscarf. So I told the children to finish up and I will be back in few minutes, then we need to leave.
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Govender said as I opened the sliding door to her en-suite to get the headscarf, she saw a ‘ball of fire’ heading straight towards the window.
“The window faces the back of my property. In that rush, I grabbed the window handle and closed it, then ran backwards and slammed the sliding door.”
Govender said while running towards the lounge, she screamed for her family to get out.
“I told the boys to grab the younger ones and get out the house, while I helped my husband off the sofa. Everything was happening so fast. After we go out, the next thing I saw was my eldest grandson run back inside the house. He went into the kitchen to switch of the main power supply and to get my husband’s medication.
“At that stage, I realised I needed my medication, and also ran back to my room for it, as well to grab the bag with all our important documents. I also grabbed the clothes I laid out for my husband to wear. I could barely see anything as the entire house was filled with black smoke. All I could hear the sounds of glass bursting. When I ran towards my kitchen, I saw my neighbour through the window and screamed for him to call the fire department,” she said.
Govender, said when the fire department arrived, they managed to prevent the fire from spreading to the entire house. “Unfortunately, the children’s room and all of their belongings were destroyed, even the boys school uniforms which I had drying by the window. My daughter, who is moving into her new home, also had some of her belongings in the room, such as kitchenware. It was all destroyed, The children have been left with nothing but the clothes on their backs,” she said.
Govender said the fire is believed to have started in a Wendy house , which she had at the back of her property, a few metres away from the main house.
“It is a mystery how it started as we disconnected the power supply in the Wendy house in 2016. I believe that the flames were so high that it hit the roof of the main house and spread through the wooden rafters. There were also damage to the bathroom, TV room and dining area. I am waiting for feedback from the fire department to find out the cause,” she said.
Govender said despite their losses she was grateful that they were unharmed and for the support the family has been receiving.
“ I am grateful to my God that my family were able to escape in time and that the fire did not destroyed the entire house. I am also thankful to my neighbours for their support and showing what the true meaning of uBuntu is. Just the holding of the hand or a hand on the shoulder means the world to a person in distress. I am also thankful to the heroes, the firefighters, who saved the rest of our home. We are hoping for some assistance, especially for the children as we try to pick up the pieces,” she said.
If you would like to assist the family, you can contact Govender on 071 885 8195.
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