Businesses burn rubbish in courtyard – nearly sets building on fire

Mogale City's Emergency Services responded to a fire in the CBD after rubbish was set alight.

July 31, 2015

Marizka Coetzer 1 minute read

Black smoke creep over businesses as rubbish caught fire.

Mogale City’s Emergency Services rushed to Ockerse Street after a cloud of black smoke was spotted creeping over the rooftops of the buildings.

A fire broke out in the courtyard of the Lightbound Norton Building which houses various small businesses.

Rubbish from these businesses, which include used sanitary towels, empty toothpaste tubes, used washing powder packs and rubble, made up a heap of trash that was being burned which was left unattended.

Firefighters on the scene after rubbish caught alight. — Firefighters on the scene after rubbish was set alight.

Dowry Emergency Response reacted to the call-out to assist in controlling the scene.

Firefighters quickly arrived on the scene and got to work to extinguish the fire which started burning again presumably because of the windy conditions.

However, it was business as usual for the shops who remained open while firefighters ran in and out the salon to get to the courtyard.

Firefighters on the scene where rubbish caught alight in a courtyard. — Firefighters on the scene where rubbish was set alight in a courtyard.

Businesses around the building claim the shops in this building regularly burn their rubbish instead of properly disposing of it.

“Old building rubble from the carpentry, along with the rubbish from these businesses were set alight to dispose of it. The workers then left it unattended and did not notice the rubble lighting up again. Due to no supervision on the property by the owner of the building who rent it out to the small business, the courtyard is being used as a dumping site,” DA Ward Councillor of Ward 20, Jakkie Naudé said who met with the News on the scene.

No one was injured during this incident.