House gutted while firefighters hunt for hydrant

Residents now turn to private companies

A fire in the upmarket Johannesburg suburb of Hyde Park that gutted a home has shone a spotlight on faulty fire hydrants and the shortage of fire engines in the city.

The house was severely damaged last week while the city’s fire department struggled to find a nearby hydrant with enough pressure to fill its fire engine tank.

The Sandton fire station was called for help but did not have a fire engine. One stationed in Alexandra responded.

Johannesburg Emergency Management Services (EMS) spokesperson Robert Mulaudzi said the city had 30 fire stations. “For these 30 fire stations, we are supposed to have at least one fire engine in each station, but we have six fire engines and two water tankers which cover the entire city.

“We have to divide the city into six districts, with one fire engine in each district.”

He said fire engines usually carried water but needed to connect to a fire hydrant to ensure additional water.

“What happened in this case is with the one hydrant there, the pressure was not enough to fill the tank.”

He said the fire engine had to drive to a suitable hydrant to fill up. “That is what happens. Most hydrants are not in good condition – either they are damaged or they do not have enough pressure.”

Days later, a house in Northcliff, northern Johannesburg, burnt down. Fire Ops, a privately owned operation, which was the first on the scene after hearing about the fire on social media on Tuesday, took 12 minutes to reach the house.

Fire Ops chief fire officer Wynand Engelbrecht said by then, the house was well alight and nothing could be salvaged.

He said the Johannesburg fire department arrived at the house about 20 minutes later.

City of Johannesburg spokes person Nthatisi Modingoane said earlier this month the city had acquired 20 specialised vehicles to fight fires.

Ward councillor Martin Williams said residents’ associations and security companies were aware of the shortage of fire engines. “They tend to contact private companies in an emergency.”