South African satirist Justin Nurse has revealed the details of the incident which claimed the life of his two-year-old daughter, Vanilla.

Vanilla was killed when the car in which she was sleeping burst into flames in the family's driveway.

In a letter published in community newspaper The False Bay Echo, Nurse explained how the family was preparing for Vanilla's birthday party when tragedy struck.

"After a morning spent opening presents, making 'play-play' strawberries in the bath (that I will forever cherish), and painting ourselves blue with coloured bath soap, Camilla (Vanilla's mother) and I set off in separate cars to run some last-minute errands before rendezvousing at the beach.

"We returned at lunchtime, with both of our children (Vanilla and her baby sister Willow) asleep in each of the cars ? doors open and windows unwound."

Nurse went on to describe the moment they knew something was wrong.

"The lounge was barely 10 metres away from where our daughters were resting. The foghorn hooter of Camilla's black Honda Jazz punctuated the hazy silence. My lover and the mother of my two children was out of the lounge in a shot.

"'She's dead! She's dead!' screamed Camilla, cradling a burnt face and charred body that looked nothing like our beautiful daughter Vanilla.

"Camilla herself was smoking, having battled to retrieve Vanilla from the child seat of a car that was engulfed in flames.

"'Where's Willow? Get Willow!' I threw Willow into the back of my van and reversed it down the driveway, knowing only that we had to get to the hospital. Camilla climbed in the back, performing mouth to mouth... It was to no avail."

"On an emergency room hospital bed... our greatest fears were confirmed..."

Vanilla was cremated and the family held a celebration of her short life near Stellenbosch.