Toxic air concerns as raging fire is left to burn out
The Durban fire which has raged since Friday morning has been contained and will be allowed to burn out.
ETHEKWINI Disaster Management has made a decision to let the fire, that has been burning since Friday morning after it broke out in a warehouse in South Coast Road, to burn out.
According to a statement released today, teams managed to separate the hot zone from the stored hay bales and ammonium in the warehouse by using a grader brought in specifically for this purpose.
This effectively helped to contain the fire and prevent it from spreading further. Firefighters are still fighting the blaze which is now concentrated in the wax zone and smoke can still be seen billowing into the air and following a northerly trajectory across Durban pushed by 20km south westerly winds.
Concerns about the toxic air have been raised with a number of Berea residents posting on social media that they are suffering from tight chests, burning eyes and throats. Some claim to have been forced to travel to western suburbs for relief from the smoke-filled air.
“Our advisories will disseminate information regarding the filtering of air if the plume, which is currently high in the atmosphere, drops lower. Currently it is tracking out to sea and still fairly high. Any change of plan will be communicated promptly,” it said.
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