Grahamstown fire fighters showed they were on the ball on Wednesday 7 January when they quickly extinguished a veld fire that could have threatened Grahamstown’s water supply.
Grahamstown fire fighters showed they were on the ball on Wednesday 7 January when they quickly extinguished a veld fire that could have threatened Grahamstown’s water supply.
Their timely intervention also helped Rhodes University journalism lecturer Reg Rumney not become part of a bigger and sadder story.
Officers Ayanda Boma and Nontsikelelo Ngqokotya were the heroes of the day for Rumney.
"My car was stuck in sand quite near the fire," Rumney told Grocott's Mail.
The fire broke out near the Waainek water treatment works on Wednesday afternoon.
"Two Makana Fire Department vehicles promptly arrived and quickly extinguished the fire before it could spread," said Rumney
"After putting out the fire, the fire fighters also helped free my car, which had become stuck on a small ridge in the sand of rough path leading off the dirt road that passes the Waainek station.
"I had pulled up to take pictures of the fire, and reversed at an angle which left my car stuck on a small ridge and my front tyres spinning with no traction.
"I am grateful to Mr Ayanda Boma and his colleagues, who first put out the fire and then helped free my car," said Rumney, a Grocott's Mail columnist and Director of the Reserve Bank Centre for Economic Journalism.
Makana Fire Station Commander Vuyokazi Sam told Grocott's Mail the Station had received a call about a grass fire at 1.23pm and arrived at the scene at 1.30pm.
"It was a small area burning at that point and they got to work with a hard pressure hose," Sam said. "In checking no lives or property were in danger, they found the car stuck in the sand and helped the owner remove it."
