ACCESS to “functional fire hydrants” was one of the challenges firefighters faced during a blaze last Saturday afternoon, which left seven businesses destroyed at an industrial complex in Willowton, Pietermaritzburg.
The other challenges included a lack of water, and insufficient manpower, vehicles and equipment.
The Msunduzi Municipality confirmed that the fire started at a shoe factory then spread to other premises on Manchester and Failsworth roads. This included a tyre shop and a warehouse.
“Access to functional fire hydrants was also a challenge for teams as the nearest working hydrant was 200 metres away from the incident zone,” said Ntobeko Ngcobo, a municipal spokesperson.
She said the emergency services unit immediately responded to the fire at about 5.30pm.
“A team of 20 firefighters was dispatched to the scene with two fire engines and two bakkies. Upon arrival, the building was ablaze, and due to the magnitude of the fire, additional fire resources were deployed. The uMgungundlovu District Fire Station dispatched 15 firefighters and three fire engines.
“There were no casualties or fatalities. One firefighter suffered steam burns and has now been discharged from hospital. Various businesses were affected.
“The cause of the fire is unknown at this stage. An investigation is under way,” added Ngcobo.
Suraya Reddy, a councillor for ward 33 that comprises areas that include Church Street, Scottsville and Manor, said in addition to a functional fire hydrant, the lack of water and the lack of resources within the city’s fire department meant “they could not fight the fire as they should have”.
“It’s well known and reported how poorly resourced our fire department is in Pietermaritzburg. From vehicles to equipment to manpower, they do not have enough facilities to take care of our city,” said Reddy.
“A lot of the fire hydrants are non-functional or have very low water pressure. This makes fighting a fire almost impossible. The municipality does not conduct regular checks to make sure these things are in place.
“The fire over the weekend could have been contained to less than what it turned out to be, but how are the firefighters going to work without water or proper equipment? Hundreds, if not thousands, of people will now be left without a job.”
The industrial complex is owned and managed by DM Property Group. They acquired the complex about 14 years ago and their office block in the complex also burnt down.
Reka Ranjeeth, manager for the DM Property Group, said she and other staff arrived at the scene when the fire started and were hopeful other businesses in the complex would not get affected.
“We were at the scene from 5.30pm, just after the fire broke out, and at the time it was only at the shoe factory. By 6pm, the situation worsened and the fire became an inferno.
“The DM Property Group offices were fine at first but then we all watched our workplace go up in flames. It was emotional to watch because we worked there for such a long time and we lost important paperwork, plans and other documents.
“I know there was a lack of water, which also caused the fire to spread. The municipality confirmed that there was low pressure in the system. There was a period during this whole fire when the fire department stood still for about an hour because there was no water for them to use. There was a huge fire burning but the municipality could not get water to the scene."
Despite watching their workplace go up in flames, Ranjeeth said she was “extremely grateful” to the tenants and community of Pietermaritzburg for uniting and helping them with whatever they needed.
“People were so nice to us and offered to help with moving our things and collecting other belongings. It was so heart-warming to know that people actually cared so much.”
The POST