A 20-year-old woman allegedly set her family home alight in South Africa out of frustration after being left alone over the weekend.
The incident occurred on Monday morning, October 6, 2025 in Hazelmere – KZN.
Members of Reaction Unit South Africa (RUSA) arrived at approximately 10:17 to find the house engulfed in flames.
The blaze had already caused the roof to collapse and had spread to nearby electricity cables before being brought under control by the Ethekwini Fire and Rescue teams.
Neighbours informed Reaction Officers that the female stated she had been left alone since Friday when her mother and uncle left to visit their rural homestead.
She alleged that the house had been locked and that she had nowhere to sleep, which led her to burn her clothes in a moment of distress.
It could not be confirmed how she gained entry into the house.
She stated that she did not intend to set the entire house on fire but used a candle to ignite her clothing, which then led to the fire spreading uncontrollably.
No injuries were reported, but the house was severely damaged.
Her emotional family arrived shortly thereafter and declined to register a criminal case of arson.
