A fire that gutted a Fish Hoek family’s home also claimed the life of their dog.
The fire department was alerted to the house fire in Second Avenue at 12.20pm on Wednesday July 26, according to City Fire and Rescue Service spokesman, Jermaine Carelse.
“The walls, ceilings, contents and furniture of the lounge, dining area and kitchen were severely damaged by heat, smoke and fire. The bathroom and bedrooms suffered severe smoke and heat damage, and the mezzanine/loft suffered severe smoke, heat and fire damage,” Mr Carelse said.
The fire was extinguished just after 2pm, and, according to Mr Carelse, the preliminary investigation suggested an electrical fault as the likely cause.
Sarah and Craig Crossman and their son, Connor, were not home at the time of the fire, only their three dogs, one of which, a three-year-old Staffordshire bull terrier called Odin died from asphyxiation, caused by smoke inhalation.
“Both my husband and I work from home, but on this particular day, we were both out, and my son had left for college. In most cases, someone is always at home,” Ms Crossman said.
The family’s other two dogs were able to run outside and get away from the smoke and flames.
Ms Crossman said Odin had been a source of comfort and support for them.
“He was my baby. He’s helped us through a lot of hard times because my dad passed away a couple of years ago,” said a tearful Ms Crossman.
“Odin used to sleep with us in our bed every night, and during the fire, he sought refuge upstairs in the bedroom, attempting to find solace amid the chaos. He died from smoke inhalation; it’s been rough.”
According to Ms Crossman, the fire caused extensive damage to the property.
“We pretty much lost everything. Looking at it from the outside isn’t actually as bad as what it is from the inside.The intense heat even melted paint off the walls and all plastic items,” she said.
The family managed to salvage some sentimental items, including inherited jewellery, passports and crucial documents, thanks to a fireproof safe.
Ms Crossman thanked the firefighters and everyone else who had helped them. In particular, she thanked a man, whom she only knows as Anton, who helped to resuscitate the two surviving dogs and took them to the vet.
