Lightning destroys home
2006-12-05 09:17
Virginia Keppler
Pretoria - A domestic worker and a dog had to be saved from a three-storey thatch roof house in Pretoria, after the house was hit by lightning and caught fire.
Abri de Bruin, a neighbour from across the road in Erasmusrand, said he and his family were
busy having dinner shortly after 21:00 when they heard lightning hit
something.
"It was quite a loud bang. When we got outside the house was already
burning. We tried to get inside, but couldn't."
"The domestic worker, who was inside the house with the dog, unlocked the
door after a while."
Meanwhile, De Bruin's brother Mathys had saved the dog. The domestic worker
was also taken to safety.
According to De Bruin all the neighbours grabbed garden hoses and tried to
put out the fire.
"But the fire was too strong."
"It was raining hard, but the rain didn't put out the flames either."
De Bruin said the fire brigade managed to save the garage and the car inside
by preventing the fire from spreading to that part of the house.
"We wanted to remove the car, but the domestic worker didn't know where the
key was."
Johan Pieterse, spokesperson for Tshwane emergency services, said the strong gusts of wind fanned the flames.
Meanwhile, deafening thunder was heard over most parts of Pretoria East,
which was left in the dark after the lightning interrupted the power supply
about 21:00.
Power was restored about 01:00 on Tuesday morning.
- Beeld