A minor controversy surfaced on an Amstelhof Facebook group on Sunday (3 April) following a devastating fire at Jan Groentjie Street, Paarl earlier that day.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Drakenstein Municipality\u2019s Acting Executive Director of Community Services Ernest Saayman confirmed a house and informal structure fire was tended to by its fire brigade in the Paarl East area.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThree informal structures were completely destroyed and one formal structure (house) sustained considerable damage,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Drakenstein Farm Watch\u2019s (DFW) General Commander, Daan van Leeuwen Boomkamp, also reported the fire.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThe DFW received the emergency message from a local resident and took action. The first effort, when a structural fire is reported, is to consult Drakenstein Fire Brigade.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
By that time, he said, the municipal crew was already on their way. \u201cThe DFW Fire and Rescue commanders requested via VHF radio whether extra assistance was needed by the Drakenstein Fire Brigade. It was confirmed by the controller that further assistance was \u2018not needed\u2019, as they were on site and the fire was \u2018under control\u2019. So the DFW teams getting ready were told to stand down by DFW command.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
This prompted an Amstelhof community member to proclaim #DFWmustfall in a Facebook group in reaction to the DFW\u2019s decision not to respond. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cMay the DFW be boycotted,\u201d the author of the post said, in reaction to DFW\u2019s decision to declare Amstelhof a \u201cred zone\u201d earlier this year. DFW formally declared the area a red zone following an incident in which one of its volunteers was targeted for theft of a company cellphone.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Many Facebook users chimed into the debate sparked by #DFWmustfall. While some users\u2019 sentiments expressed it is unfair for the entire community to suffer as a consequence of one thief\u2019s actions others were sympathetic to the NPO.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cOne bad apple caused our community to suffer, not the DFW,\u201d one user said. \u201cWe have to start calling out the guilty minority. Remember, the DFW is a volunteer service and not a compulsory one.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Van Leeuwen Boomkamp\u2019s response to the controversy: \u201cWe offer all these responses for free as a volunteer community service. So if it must fall and people are unhappy we will stay away. Or, we sit around the table and discuss the matter.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Fires reported over the weekend<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Saayman further said a house fire had broken out on Friday (1 April) in Beet Street, Newton. \u201cThe house sustained great damage, but no injuries were reported.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Three grass\/veld fires were reported to the Drakenstein Fire Brigade, in addition to another three that had already been extinguished before the fire brigade reached the scene.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
A minor controversy surfaced on an Amstelhof Facebook group on Sunday (3 April) following a devastating fire at Jan Groentjie Street, Paarl earlier that 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