A raging fire on a property on the Wembezi road got Umtshezi Fire Protection Association (UFPA) members out on a chilly Monday (July 3) evening.
The association was alerted to the fire and a member responded immediately, with the first unit jumping into action to stop the blaze from engulfing the entire building, which contained an array of household items.
Joined by Inkosi Langalibalele Fire and Rescue Service and a second unit from UFPA, the team worked tirelessly to stop the fire.
“It was reported that there was a liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) gas bottle in the next room that was also on fire. While trying to safely vent the building from the thick smoke as opposed to the crews entering blind and facing many risks, such as possible structural collapse, flash over or explosion and collapse of burning items, the property owner became extremely hostile towards our members because of methods used to break windows in the burning building for venting and safety reasons for crews attending,” explained UFPA chairperson Warren Blaker.
Blaker explained that the reason for breaking the windows was to get the thick smoke out and allow clean air inside, called ‘venting a building’.
This would allow fire fighters to have a clear vision of inside the burning building in order to plot their plan of action.
“This method was successful as the smoke quickly cleared and the fire in the next section was spotted and put out when crews could safely navigate the very tightly packed building. We commend the efforts of our first responding officer who bravely tackled the blaze and contained it to the portion which collapsed,” he said.
However, after an outburst from the landowner, UFPA fire fighters had no option but to leave the premises.
The municipal fire department remained on scene to continue with mop-up operations.
According to Blaker, the cause of the fire is unknown at this stage and will be subject to investigation by authorities.
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