News / Regional
Fire guts down 12-roomed house in Burnside
03 Jun 2016 at 07:12hrs | Views
A BULAWAYO man was left with only his car and the clothes he was wearing after an inferno reduced his 12-roomed thatched house to ashes in Burnside suburb yesterday.
Clive Terry and his granddaughter were asleep when the fire broke out just before 5AM.
Terry said he woke up to the smell of something burning.
"I checked around the house and when I went outside I noticed that there was fire directly on top of my bedroom. I think the fire had started just before 5AM. I lost everything. I rushed back into the house and grabbed my eight-year-old granddaughter who was fast asleep in her bedroom and rushed her to the cottage," said Terry.
He said he suspects that an electric fault caused the fire.
Mangi Moyo, a housekeeper who has worked for the family for more than 25 years, wept uncontrollably.
She said they had difficulties to get the fire brigade on time on its toll free number 994 using their cellphones.
The family did not know that that particular number can only be reached from a landline number.
"The number wouldn't go through until Terry rushed to one of our neighbours' house who then managed to contact the fire brigade. A lot of time had already been wasted and every room was on fire," Moyo said.
"Unfortunately, when fire brigade arrived they found the gate locked. Terry's keys were inside the burning house and he insisted on going inside but we stopped him because the roof had collapsed and it was all smoky inside. He was also confused and weak by then. The fire brigade ended up gaining entrance through the neighbours and they used ladders to fight the fire."
She said Terry's wife is out of the country seeking medical attention.
Bulawayo Acting Chief Fire Officer Edward Mpofu said the family wasted a lot of time trying to reach the fire brigade.
"Our toll free numbers 993 and 994 can only be reached from a landline but 09-71717-9 can be reached from cellphones. We urge the general public to take note of this as it becomes very important at such times of crisis.
"The fire department only received a phone call informing fire fighters of the inferno after more than 45 minutes had been wasted otherwise if called earlier we could have managed to save some property," said Mpofu. He said they were still investigating the cause of the fire.
Clive Terry and his granddaughter were asleep when the fire broke out just before 5AM.
Terry said he woke up to the smell of something burning.
"I checked around the house and when I went outside I noticed that there was fire directly on top of my bedroom. I think the fire had started just before 5AM. I lost everything. I rushed back into the house and grabbed my eight-year-old granddaughter who was fast asleep in her bedroom and rushed her to the cottage," said Terry.
He said he suspects that an electric fault caused the fire.
Mangi Moyo, a housekeeper who has worked for the family for more than 25 years, wept uncontrollably.
She said they had difficulties to get the fire brigade on time on its toll free number 994 using their cellphones.
The family did not know that that particular number can only be reached from a landline number.
"The number wouldn't go through until Terry rushed to one of our neighbours' house who then managed to contact the fire brigade. A lot of time had already been wasted and every room was on fire," Moyo said.
"Unfortunately, when fire brigade arrived they found the gate locked. Terry's keys were inside the burning house and he insisted on going inside but we stopped him because the roof had collapsed and it was all smoky inside. He was also confused and weak by then. The fire brigade ended up gaining entrance through the neighbours and they used ladders to fight the fire."
She said Terry's wife is out of the country seeking medical attention.
Bulawayo Acting Chief Fire Officer Edward Mpofu said the family wasted a lot of time trying to reach the fire brigade.
"Our toll free numbers 993 and 994 can only be reached from a landline but 09-71717-9 can be reached from cellphones. We urge the general public to take note of this as it becomes very important at such times of crisis.
"The fire department only received a phone call informing fire fighters of the inferno after more than 45 minutes had been wasted otherwise if called earlier we could have managed to save some property," said Mpofu. He said they were still investigating the cause of the fire.
Source - chronicle
