A family say they’ve been left homeless after a relative fell asleep while smoking dagga.
Ten family members, who live at the premises in Korhaan Street, Rocklands, Mitchells Plain, were fast asleep when the fire broke out at 6.30am on Sunday.
They say their lives were only saved because of vigilant neighbours who woke them up.
Janine Smith, 38, who lives in a Wendy house on the property, says her brother Marcelino Joubert had fallen asleep while smoking dagga and they believe this caused the fire.
“I was watching a movie and my youngest child is eight months old,” she says.
“My brother said he was smoking groen pyp and used a birthday candle to light it. The candle flares up like a firecracker and doesn’t die when you blow it out.
“He fell asleep on a foam mattress which is very flammable and his clothing also burnt.”
Neighbour Lavona Schaffer, 67, says: “I saw the smoke and I heard an explosion. I screamed for people in the road to get buckets of water and screamed for the family to wake up.”
Janine says she grabbed her baby and 10-year-old son and heard windows breaking.
“I couldn’t even grab my baby’s bottle and got my mother and father out of the big house in time,” she says.
Janine says she lost everything while her dad and the homeowner, Isaac Joubert, 72, says he is sad that his life’s work has gone up in flames.
“I worked at Youngsfield Military base for 35 years and I retired at the age of 65. This is a very sad time for me.”
genevieve.serra@inl.co.za