Horrible start to the new year after Geduld home burns down
For the Marshall family, who have two children who are both blind, they have been left destitute and are living with relatives.
The Marshall family rang in the new year homeless after their house was destroyed in a fire last Sunday evening.
Lottie says she is not sure how the fire started, but she heard her daughter screaming for someone to call the fire department.
Neighbour Eriskay Qaba say he saw the flames from outside and ran out and told the other neighbours to turn off the electricity supply to the house.
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“We couldn’t get hold of the fire department so I asked a bystander to drive me to the fire station and came back with them.
“When the fire truck arrived, they called other fire departments to help them and they fought the fire for about three hours,” says Qaba.
Ekurhuleni Disaster and Emergency Management Services (DEMS) spokesperson William Ntladi disputes that there was a delay in them responding to the scene and the allegation that the truck had no water when it arrived on the scene.
“The initial crew arrived on scene eight minutes after the call was logged with the call centre which is within the standard operational procedures.
“As professionals, fire engine tanks are always topped to maximum capacity immediately after fighting fires to be ready for the next emergency.
“The fire engine used has a 2 800 litre water tank capacity which can be emptied within three minutes hence members of the public think that the fire engine was empty.
“Connection from the fire hydrant sustains water supply because structures such as the eight-roomed house which was burning vigorously, demands copious amounts of water to augment the objective.
“The fire engine had the required amount of water according to its specifications,” says Ntladi.
Ntladi added that two patients were treated on scene after sustaining intense burn wounds.
A male adult and a child both sustained critical injuries and were transported by ambulance to Far East Rand Hospital for further medical care after on-scene treatment by an advanced life support paramedic.
The cause of the fire is undetermined, but during active firefighting, an explosion of a gas cylinder took place and flared the flames.
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For the Marshall family, who have two children who are both blind, they have been left destitute and are living with relatives.
“Everything is gone.
“We didn’t have insurance and my husband is unable to work.
“We need help with everything,” says Lottie.
• Members of the society are encouraged to phone life-threatening emergency services number of 011 458 0911 and the call centre will log the call to dispatch the relevant resources.
Calls are centralised at the call centre and fire stations do not receive calls directly from the public.
