Durban — It has been a tough week for a Nagina, Mariannhill, couple who are now sharing one room for a family of five after a fire tore through their three-bedroom home last week.
Isaac Nkulungwane, 77, said that until he retired and built the home in 2013, they had lived in Hammarsdale.
“When we both retired we decided that the best way was to sell the Hammarsdale house for a better life.”
Following the fire, the family – the couple, their child and two grandchildren – have been living in a small room built on their property by their son some time ago.
He said the fire started from an electric plug in his grandchild’s room last Monday. He and his family were trapped inside the burning house until they were rescued by neighbours.
“We were all confused as to how this fire had started. There is a table in the room and the tablecloth also began burning. This was as my wife came with water to put the fire out. Instead of the fire going out, to our shock, it began spreading, ” said Nkulungwane.
He said smoke started to build up in the house as they tried to find the key in an effort to escape using the side garage door. The family in the evenings lock the outside gate and doors, putting all the keys, including Nkulungwane’s car keys, in one place.
“We couldn’t get to the fire escape because of the smoke, which was preventing us from seeing properly. It all happened so fast, the fire began spreading in the room with such speed that it took less than a minute for it to reach the ceiling,” he said.
At this stage, more smoke filled the house and the family began to try to find another way out.
“We all ran to the dining room where we all began screaming for help, to the sitting room, to the kitchen hoping to be heard. Two young boys who are our neighbours heard us. They jumped over the fence and opened the garage in a bid to enter the house through the door in the garage leading into the house. They tried, but could not get this door opened.”
Nkulungwane said that their two neighbours managed to pull the burglar-guard gate from the front door, kicking it in to save the family.
“The children were able to leave the burning house. I was in the kitchen still screaming for help. I heard their voices calling me and they came and took me out of the house.”
Once out of the house, Nkulungwane said that he watched helplessly as their home burnt to the ground.
“It tore through the rest of the house, even where I had been in the kitchen. The fire gutted each room. We watched helplessly as it tore through the sitting room, engulfing furniture and everything in its way.
“It was starting to move to the garage where the car was. By then, the car was put in neutral and pushed out.”
He said that by the time fire services arrived, everything had been reduced to ashes.
Daily News