FIRE LEAVES SURVIVOR BOY HOMELESS

A LAVENDER Hill boy who survived a shooting nearly three years ago and his mom are appealing for any donations after a wendy house fire left them with next to nothing.

Jarrod Damons, 20, and his ma Chantal Damons, 49, are currently staying with her sister after their neighbour's home caught alight on 23 August before midnight and quickly destroyed theirs too.

Chantal explained: “I was awake at the time, because I had pains in my stomach, I wasn’t sleeping, I was just lying there. I stood up and the flames were coming to our bungalow. I noticed the flames coming and I woke Jarrod up.

“The fire started at the bungalow next to us at the back of a house. The house burnt down, we were scared of the fumes that we were going to inhale and faint.

“We grabbed what we could, my ID, wallet, but beds, blankets, stove, two TVs, kettles, I lost everything else.

"We had to leave kaalvoet, because our bungalow was already on fire and the smoke was in our house.”

Chantal added: “I have to sleep on the floor, because there are only three beds. We are taking things step by step and day by day, but we feel grateful to be alive.”

The fire comes nearly three years after Jarrod was shot during a suspected robbery a day after his matric ball on 15 December 2022.

He has since recovered after receiving two life-saving surgeries after bullets ripped through his belly and he is currently working full-time at Checkers Hyper.

The Damonse have lived there since October 2019 and Chantal suspects that the tenant in the bungalow next to theirs could have had mense over or lit a entjie that could have started the fire as she had no electricity in her dwelling.

City of Cape Town Fire & Rescue spokesperson Jermaine Carelse confirmed that fire fighters were on the scene and added that the cause of the fire is still unknown at this stage.

Anyone who can assist with clothes, utilities or any items can contact 068 889 8065.