Fire ravages Johannesburg Country Club, no injuries or fatalities ...

Emergency service teams contained a fire that engulfed parts of the Johannesburg Country Club in Auckland Park on Tuesday afternoon. The fire is believed to have started in the building’s kitchen before rapidly spreading.

Clive Maher, the owner of SCP Security, who was on the scene, described the extent of the damage. 

“A large portion of the Johannesburg Country Club has been burnt. The main dining area, the kitchen area, the foyer, the reception — that’s [all] completely gone,” he said.

Maher said they received a call at around 4.30pm on Tuesday that there was a fire at the club and immediately dispatched their fire search and rescue vehicle with their fire crew, who arrived on the scene within five minutes. 

“By the time we got there, the fire had already engulfed a large portion of the building, and the flames were six metres high, already coming out of the roof,” he said. 

Numerous firefighters were present at the scene, including from the City of Johannesburg, Fire Ops SA and Fidelity SecureFire.

“Together, we managed to very quickly hook up lines to the fire hydrants, and we started to get the fire guys into the building with hoses and put water on it,” said Maher. 

“We sprayed water from about 4.30pm right up till seven o’clock tonight. I would say we were able to properly contain the fire at about 6pm this evening.”

The spokesperson for the City of Johannesburg Emergency Management Services (EMS), Robert Mulaudzi, said: “On arrival at Johannesburg Country Club, firefighter crews found the building gutted with flames.”  

Three EMS fire engines were dispatched to the scene.

“The fire has been contained in the kitchen, dining hall and reception area. At the moment, the cause of the fire is still the subject of investigation.” 

Wynand Engelbrecht, the chief fire officer at Fire Ops SA, said it was “a major conflagration, and then there were some substantial losses. We were first responders, and we spent 3½ to four hours there and the fire has been fully extinguished now.” 

Daily Maverick was unable to reach Johannesburg Country Club officials for comment at the time of publication. A registered Heritage Site, the club was established in 1906. 

At the scene, Ward 87 councillor Kyle Jacobs provided an update on the ongoing efforts.

“At this stage, they are still working on extinguishing the fire and ensuring that hotspots do not flare up again overnight,” he said.

Once the fire has been fully extinguished, EMS will conduct a thorough investigation into its cause.   

A decision to reopen the club and allow members to return will be made by the property owner, but this will only be possible after EMS finishes its investigation. DM