What was supposed to be a joyous celebration on Christmas Day turned into a tragedy for a family in Ravensmead, when several wendy houses caught fire leaving over 30 people homeless.
Five structures were engulfed in flames shortly after 6.30pm in Anemone Street when a wendy house suddenly caught fire, affecting the neighbours, the main house and the field at Florida High School.
Home owner Andrew James says he was out camping when he got the news that his property was burning and rushed back home.
James tells Daily Voice: “At the time of the fire, everyone was sitting in the front yard, when they saw smoke coming from the back. The fire started at the neighbour’s wendy house, but due to the strong wind, the fire spread like crazy, the wind was not on our side.
“This is a double blow for the family because we just got news that a family member had passed away as well. Those five families in the wendy houses lost everything, part of my house is damaged and we are without electricity.”
According to a witness, there was no time to save anything, as the flames, fanned by a strong wind spread quickly, but luckily nobody got hurt.
The City of Cape Town’s Fire and Rescue Services spokesperson, Jermaine Carelse says: “The Fire and Rescue Service responded at 7.10pm to a wendy house alight in Anemone Street on the 25th of December. The cause has yet to be identified and no injuries were reported.”