The wife of a former radio personality died of smoke inhalation in a veld fire which got out of control on Tuesday.
Madelein Engelbrecht (41) the wife of the former managing director of Jacaranda FM, Willem Engelbrecht, was fighting a veld fire with other farmers near Dewagendrift, east of Pretoria, when she was she was overcome by the smoke.
Willem’s brother Eben Engelbrecht said the family was shocked, especially by the violent nature of the death.
”Madelein was a loving person; she was also a big conservationist and that was why she was out in the veld fighting the fire with the neighbours,” he said.
He said fires had been burning in the area since Monday and the Engelbrechts’s farm, which is part of a conservation area, had already been burned, although their house was saved.
Engelbrecht answered the call for help from her neighbours when the fire started again on Tuesday. He said a post mortem had showed that she died of smoke inhalation before she was burned in the fire.
Inspector Paul Ramaloko said police did not know the cause of the fire and an inquest docket had been opened.
The family plans a service on the farm Edencare on Friday where Engelbrecht’s ashes would be scattered. – Sapa