Thieves cut their way into a pipeline belonging to Transnet Pipelines just outside Ladysmith sometime last night and made off with an unknown quantity of fuel.

Sometime during the theft, the pipeline caught fire. How and why this happened, however, remains unclear at this stage.

There was a heavy police and private security presence at the scene today, with a helicopter hovering overhead.

According to an official on the scene, the thieves use large containers which are filled and then rolled away to waiting vehicles. According to the official, this is not the first time this has happened at this particular spot.

The area is inaccessible by road and firefighters had to make their own road using a TLB to get their fire engine to the scene.