Johannesburg - A critical shortage of fire engines in the City of Joburg is increasingly putting residents' lives in danger.
Two families recently watched helplessly as their homes burnt to the ground because fire stations in their areas did not have fire engines to come and put out the fire.
Help had to be sought from a neighbouring fire station but by the time those fire engines arrived, it was too late.
Three sources who work at different stations confirmed to The Star that there was a shortage of fire engines.
Out of 28 stations in the city, only eight had functioning fire engines, according to the sources.
The rest were being repaired.
As a result, firefighters were constantly being asked to respond to fires that were so far away from their areas that by the time they arrived there, people's homes were completely destroyed.
However, Robert Mulaudzi, spokesman for the Johannesburg Emergency Management Services (EMS), dismissed claims that many stations in the city did not have fire engines.
He said all the fire stations in the city had fire engines except Orange Farm, Dobsonville and Hodgson Street fire station in Roodepoort.
Mulaudzi said the stations throughout the city had at least a first turnout fire engine; if not, it would have at least a ladder, grass unit, water tanker or Bronto.
However, the sources said the things that Mulaudzi mentioned still needed the assistance of a fire engine to put out a fire.
"Bronto doesn't put out fires without assistance from other fire engines or a water-hydrant source. It's a specialised vehicle for high-rise buildings. It is like any fire engine and the only difference is that it does not carry water," one said.
They also said a water tanker was designed to carry water to help put out fires where there were no hydrants, such as in informal settlements. It can at times be used to put out small fires but what is really needed is a fire engine because it is designed to pump out water with very high pressure.
On August 4, a house in Midrand burnt down. Midrand fire station could not respond because they did not have an engine.
Diepsloot fire station responded but when they arrived, the fire had spread throughout the house and nothing could be saved.
Then last week, a shack caught fire in Vlakfontein near Lenasia. Help had to be sought from Brixton fire station despite that the fact that Lenasia is the closest station.
Other allegations are that not even one station from Soweto could respond because the entire township does not have one working fire engine.
The firefighters got lost along the way to Vlakfontein as they did not know the area. When they got there, the shack had been razed to the ground.
On the same day, there was a fire in Chiawelo, Soweto, and the Malvern fire station had to attend to it.
On July 29, a Dobsonville house in Soweto caught fire and the Brixton fire station was asked to respond.
However, the request was later cancelled.
It is not known why as there was no feedback.
The firefighters said it was a big problem when fire stations not in the vicinity of a fire were asked to be the first response team rather than the supporting crew.
They said this put their lives at risk because when they got there late to find that the fire had ravaged everything, the community directed its anger and frustration at them.
"We have no maps or navigators in our vehicles and when we go to areas we don't know, we get lost and the community can even beat you up saying you arrived late long after someone's house burnt down," one said.
Mulaudzi said resources were dispatched on the availability and jurisdiction.
"The reality is that most of our fleet is ageing so now and then the vehicles are at the workshops rather than on the road.
"We have implemented a vehicle replacement plan to replace the ageing vehicles. That process is under way (and) we will be receiving the delivery of about 29 fire engines soon," he said.
The Star