An alert police officer turned firefighter on Thursday December 1 and helped to stop a fire destroying a Parklands home.
Warrant Officer Josias Gouws was on patrol when he noticed a man walking down Hampstead Close, in Parklands.
When the man told Warrant Officer Gouws that he could smell something burning, the policemen started to look at every house in the road.
It was then he noticed smoke coming from the garage of one of the homes, said Table View police spokeswoman, Captain Adriana Chandler.
He called the fire department after putting his hand against the garage door and finding it was hot.
But instead of simply waiting for the fire department to arrive while the home continued to burn, he took the initiative and opened the door with caution.
“The garage was filled with flames and he took a hose and sprayed water on the flames,” said Captain Chandler.
“Warrant Officer Gerhard Davis arrived and assisted Warrant Officer Gouws and the member of the public to douse the flames. The fire was contained by the time the fire department arrived and fortunately the flames did not reach the house.”
No one had been home, so Warrant Officer Gouws called the homeowners’ alarm company to alert them.
“When the owner arrived he was very happy with the service of the SAPS, a member of the public and the Fire Department,” said Captain Chandler.
