Mall fire ‘spreads’ quickly
A shopping mall fire was minor compared to the wildfire social media reports
PHOTO: Charmaine Heath
A FIRE caused when oil in a chip fryer ignited in a kitchen at Lakeside Spar on Thursday evening was minor compared with the wildfire stories that circulated on social media.
Although rescue and ambulance services sped to the scene, the burning oil had already been extinguished thanks to the prompt action of a trained firefighter who happened to be in the store, and who disconnected the electrical supply.
Owing to the fact that the incident took place during the peak evening shopping hour, a large crowd gathered to witness dense smoke emanating from the building.
As a precaution, uMhlathuze Fire Department crews sprayed foam over the heated interior of the kitchen.
While unpleasant for some, no serious cases of smoke inhalation were reported.
No structural damage was caused and shopping soon returned to normal, as exaggerated reports did the social media rounds.
