The City of Tshwane Emergency Services Department responded to multiple fire incidents where properties were destroyed by fire during the weekend of 13 to 14 July 2024. A veld fire affected two plots in Rietfontein near Delmas while a thatched roof house was gutted and destroyed by fire in Leeuwfontein near Cullinan later on the same day.
The veld fire in Rietfontein was reported to the City of Tshwane Emergency Services Call Centre (ECC) at about 12:37. The ECC immediately dispatched a grassfire unit to the scene. Upon arrival firefighters began with firefighting operations.
While they were busy, they were approached by a member of the community informing them about a house on fire on a nearby plot. They then called for backup and the ECC dispatched multiple additional firefighting resources from Silverton, Erasmuskloof and Hazelwood Fire Stations to the incident. The resources included two fire trucks, a district commander’s unit and a water tanker.
On the one plot the fire burned down the one main house, which had been abandoned and had no furniture inside, and a storeroom – all with thatched roofs. There was another main thatched roof house that was occupied but had not caught fire.
The grassfire had also spread to the nearby adjacent plot and affected their lapa, but crews managed to extinguish it in time. They also managed to protect this plot’s main house by tactically placing fire trucks to protect any further exposure and prevent any further fire spread. Firefighters managed to successfully extinguish all the fire in Rietfontein at around 17:42.
The other fire incident occurred in Leeuwfontein on Suidweg Road on the same day at about 18:36 where a house was also reported on fire. The City of Tshwane Emergency Services Department responded with a fire truck and a grassfire unit from Rayton Fire Station. They were backed up by a water carrier and a fire truck from Silverton Fire Station.
On arrival at this incident scene, firefighters found a vandalised unoccupied ten-room thatched roof house already burnt down. They immediately began with firefighting and damping down operations which lasted until the middle of the night at about 23:38.
No injuries were reported at either incidents and the cause of the fires has not yet been determined.
