No one was harmed in a fire that broke out at the home of Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Tutu at Kidbrooke Place in Onrus this morning.
Roger Friedman, the Tutu family’s spokesperson confirmed that the Archbishop and his wife Leah Tutu did not sustain any injuries in the fire and were in good spirits considering events that unfolded around daybreak on Wednesday morning.
Friedman confirmed that the cause of the fire is unknown, but it is believed to have been triggered by a faulty gas heater. The fire damaged the living area of the Tutu’s cottage in Kidbrooke Place Retirement Village.
Caroline Tjabring from Kidbrooke Place thanked the staff, residents and the Overstrand Fire Department for their quick action. “We extend our great appreciation to the fire department who were on site and managed the the situation very efficiently and effectively.”
“We cannot thank the staff at the village enough for their kindness and quick action,” reads a statement from the Tutu’s. “Or members of the fire department, unsung heroes, on whose courage one leans in the most difficult circumstances. God bless them all.”