RIVERSDALE NEWS - During the devastating fires that swept through the area recently, the Lea family experienced what they and many firefighters call a miracle.
Their wooden houses and sheds survived the extreme heat and fire, even though it came as close as four metres from the structures.
Margie Lea shared her experience. "We saw smoke in the mountains, but it was far from our place. We went to bed and were woken by my son at about 01:30. He told us that the fire was very close and we needed to get out in time before we get caught in the smoke and flames. Because he has an app that he uses to predict the weather before his flights, he was able to see that no rain was predicted for the next 48 hours.
As we packed some belongings, we stopped and prayed together as a family. It started to rain in the mountains and we were able to go back to bed just before 03:00."
The next day the wind had turned and the fire continued to rage. Yet again Lea's structures were in danger.
A Garden Route District firefighter named Chris Gerber showed up and started to fight the fire. Afterwards, he showed the family where he also had knelt and prayed, asking God to save their place.
While the family evacuated and made peace with the thought of losing everything, they tried to save their pets but had no success as the pets were frantic. One of the cats hid under the house and the border collie ran off.
Malcolm said, "Chris was fighting the fire alone and just when he wanted to give up because his life was in danger and the fire too hot, Hennie Harmse, a neighbouring farmer, showed up. Chris said Hennie's determination gave him hope and they were able to save the house. We thought we would be returning to ashes - but we were able to return to our home."
Gerber later caught up with the family with the dog and cat in his vehicle.
The Leas would like to thank every neighbour who welcomed them into their homes and helped during the crisis. "Thank you to all the firefighters for their hard work. All the glory to God."
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