A 36-year-old man has died in a tragic fire at an informal home near Trenance Park in KwaZulu-Natal (KZN).
The observant neighbour
On Monday, 27 April, neighbours reported a structure engulfed in flames at around 11.08pm and notified Reaction Unit South Africa (Rusa).
According to Rusa, members of the public attempted to extinguish the blaze. However, the flames intensified rapidly and completely destroyed the structure.
Father identifies son
Upon arrival, with flames and smoke filling the air, officers made contact with the deceased’s father, who said he had last seen his son earlier in the day.
While the burnt structure was being investigated, the body of a 36-year-old man was recovered beneath the debris. The father positively identified the deceased as his son and confirmed that he lived alone in the informal home, located a short distance from his residence.
The cause of the fire has not yet been established.
Waterloo fire
Another informal home was also destroyed in a separate incident on Saturday, 25 April, on Picklepear Road (Phase 5), Waterloo, KZN.
The owner had left his home unattended to visit friends and returned to the smell of smoke and the debris of what had once been his belongings and home.
The reaction unit was called out around 6.33pm after receiving reports of a structure on fire.
Upon arrival, the blaze had already engulfed what was left of the informal home.
According to the owner, he had left the structure earlier to meet friends and was later informed by community members that smoke was coming from the property.
Community members also tried to eliminate the fire; however, because it had already spread so rapidly and could not be contained, the owners’ home was completely destroyed, along with clothing and other personal belongings.
Firefighters responded to the scene and extinguished the blaze.
