TEAMWORK stopped a fire from getting out of hand in Graaff-Reinet.
Simon Swanepoel, a resident living close to the old swimming pool in Cradock Street, was working on a porch light when he noticed a large fire raging in the bushes and trees behind the caravan park.
Swanepoel notified the Graaff-Reinet fire brigade, who were on the scene within minutes. Gift of the Givers (GOTG) water truck team, Randal Goliath and Edwin Jantjies, also rushed to the scene and used the water tankers to refill the fire brigade’s tanks twice.
“We had just returned from our last water deliveries in the community at around 20:00 when we saw the smoke and fire brigade vehicles chasing toward the end of Cradock Street,” said GOTG coordinator, Corene Conradie.
A number of young men from the area also noticed the fire and came to assist.
“We happened to notice the commotion soon after the fire had been reported, and decided to help before things escalated,” said Jonathan van Molendorff and Jonathan Stip, two of the local heroes of the evening.
The very efficient fire brigade, together with residents and the GOTG team, bravely fought smouldering bushes, pepper trees and flames that had already scaled tall palm trees, threatening to topple them and spreading the fire even higher up the mountainside, towards adjacent residences.
The fire was finally brought under control at around 23:00.
