Search and rescue dog Parco discovered human remains in rubble of Bloemfontein building fire after structure declared safe.
A Bloemfontein CBD building fire turned tragic after a search and rescue dog sniffed out human remains in the rubble after the unstable structure was declared safe for examination.
In the early hours of Sunday, 23 August, a fire broke out at a building on St Andrews Street, also known as China City, in Bloemfontein, Free State.
The Mangaung municipality’s call centre received an alert about the fire at 3:49am and dispatched fire and rescue services to the scene.
When the firefighters arrived, they worked hard and successfully contained the blaze. They remained at the scene to conduct damping-down operations and extinguish remaining hotspots.
“At this stage, there are no confirmed reports regarding the cause of the fire or the extent of damage. The relevant law-enforcement agencies will commence with their investigations once the scene has been declared safe and is ready for examination,” the municipality said on 23 August.
According to the South African Police Service (Saps), emergency responders had to ensure the building was safe first. This was before law enforcement officials could enter because of the extent of the damage and the structure’s unstable condition.
After officials declared the building safe, law enforcement began searching for possible victims.
Saps spokesperson Captain Loraine Earle said Warrant Officer Swannie Swanepoel, a search and rescue dog handler, and his four-year-old Belgian Shepherd, Parco, were among those called upon to assist.
#sapsFS [SEARCH AND RESCUE DOG LEADS POLICE TO HUMAN REMAINS IN BLOEMFONTEIN CBD FIRE RUBBLE]
What initially appeared to be a devastating fire at a building in Bloemfontein’s CBD, has taken a tragic turn following the discovery of human remains in the rubble.
The fire broke out… pic.twitter.com/YvnSWPglUb
– SA Police Service (@SAPoliceService)
September 4, 2026
“As the search team carefully worked through the rubble, Parco did what he was trained to do. The highly trained search and rescue dog indicated an area of interest beneath the debris,” Earle said.
“His handler immediately investigated the indication, leading to the discovery of what appeared to be human remains.”
The police said they will be investigating the circumstances surrounding the fire and the identity of the deceased. The remains will undergo the forensic processes to establish the identity of the victim.
“The cause of the fire also remains under investigation, and relevant law-enforcement agencies will continue with their respective investigations,” the police said.
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