01 Jul Heilbron left without fire engine as two buildings destroyed in separate fires

Concerns have been raised over emergency response capabilities in the South African town of Heilbron after reports that it has been left without an operational fire engine, resulting in two separate fires going unattended.

According to the Democratic Alliance (DA), Heilbron’s only fire appliance was sent away for repairs, with no temporary replacement provided, leaving the Free State town without a functioning fire service.

The issue came to public attention on 17 June when DA councillor Robert Ferendale said residents had been informed that no assistance was available after a fire broke out in the town.

Ferendale alleged that a second property was subsequently destroyed in another fire, again without any response from fire services.

“This is serious negligence on the part of the responsible department and should be called into question,” he said.

He added that the situation represented a failure to meet one of local government’s most fundamental responsibilities.

“This is an unacceptable failure. The municipality has a basic duty to protect residents’ lives and property, and it has failed to do so in Heilbron,” Ferendale said.

He has called on the Municipal Manager to deploy a replacement fire vehicle to the town immediately and provide a full explanation of how Heilbron was left without operational firefighting capability.

Heilbron falls under the Ngwathe Local Municipality and has faced a number of service delivery challenges in recent years. Alongside concerns over emergency response, residents have experienced ongoing issues relating to access to reliable drinking water and other municipal services.

The reported lack of fire cover has renewed attention on the importance of maintaining operational resilience within municipal fire services, particularly in smaller communities where the loss of a single appliance can leave an entire town without emergency firefighting capability.

At the time of the Democratic Alliance’s statement, the party said no replacement fire engine had been provided while the town’s only vehicle remained under repair.