Durban – An investigation is under way to determine the cause of a fire which gutted a Pinetown home on Thursday afternoon.
The family managed to escape the blaze which reportedly started in their daughter’s room. Their pet parrot was stuck at the back of the house before being rescued by paramedics.
Rescue Care paramedics – who had been attending a vehicle crash scene nearby – noticed thick black smoke coming from the Cheritan Road complex about 2pm.
“On investigating further we found a unit in a complex well alight. Durban Fire Department was called to assist,” said Garrith Jamieson.
Homeowner Wayne Naidu said he was out fetching his daughter from school when the fire started.
“My wife says she smelled smoke and got up to check. There was a fire in one of my daughters’ rooms and in the few minutes she went to look for help, the fire had spread through the entire house.”
The roof of the three-bedroom home collapsed, and there was fire damage in all the rooms except the main bedroom.
However it was drenched and everything in it damaged as firefighters battled the flames.
There was also water damage to the home of their neighbour, with whom the Naidus share a wall.
“The fire spread to their roof,” said Naidu.
He said they were spending the night with family and were still in shock that they had lost their home “just like that”.
Earlier Naidu told paramedics that their parrot was still inside the house.
“Without hesitation they went in and managed to rescue the bird from the rear of the house,” said Jamieson.
Fortunately, neither the bird nor any of the family members were injured.