The cause of concern is that a petrol station, on the corner of Cason and 14th Avenue, is located next door to the yard. According to some business owners, the fire could have led to several petrol tanks and other flammable products catching fire and potentially exploding.
According to Emergency Services spokesperson, William Ntladi, the property caught fire during the early hours of June 22.
However, firefighters were able to prevent the fire from spreading to the nearby properties, including the petrol station, to alleviate that danger.
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“Swift and passionate response shown by determined Ekurhuleni Disaster and Emergency Management Services (DEMS) firefighters saved what was to be a disastrous incident at Boksburg North 112 Cason Road.
“The call was received at about 4.23am and on arrival it was found that a scrapyard was ablaze.
“Backup from Boksburg central, Rynfield, Farrarmere were summoned to assist.
“The fire was extinguished without any further damage to the structure since the arrival of firefighting crews.
“The risk was very high on the scene as the next door structure was a petrol station. The scene was declared safe around 6.40am,” explained Ntladi.
Although the cause of the fire is still under investigation, investigators have classified it as arson.
No one was injured in the fire, according to a press release from the emergency services.
The incident has, however, led to growing concerns about the fire hazards this business apparently poses to other nearby businesses.
Business people in the area said if it hadn’t been for the person who spotted the fire so early, even firefighters would never have been able to prevent the block of buildings in the area from being razed to the ground.
Willem Odendaal, who works for DO Motors, located in close proximity to the scrap metal business said the location of the yard poses a threat to the whole area, and described it as an accident waiting to happen.
The concerned business people added that the place is often unclean and in poor condition, with people frequently burning what appears to be tyres and cables.
Another resident, Ria Koekemoer expressed his concerns over the location of the yard next to a petrol station, saying it is so dangerous and it’s only a matter of time before something tragic happens.
“We want to know as to how can a scrap metal shop, buying scrap metal as well as paper and plastic be situated right next to a petrol garage. Isn’t this a safety risk? Is that legal or safe?”
Another question raised by the business owners in the area is whether the scrapyard complies with fire safety regulations.
Neels Viljoen, who is assigned to investigate the cause of the fire on behalf of the business, said preliminary investigations have revealed that someone might have doused the building with petrol and set it alight.
He added that the business adheres to fire safety regulations.
The fire caused an estimated R120 000 in damage to the property, according to Viljoen.
The Advertiser is still trying to ascertain the fact of the matter and whether the business in question complies with the basic fire safety regulations. -@FanieFLK
