About 12 cars and bakkies were destroyed in a fire alongside the R102 on the southern part of Tongaat yesterday afternoon.

Severe winds caused the fire to spread rapidly, engulfing the vehicles parked on the side of the road. The cause of the fire has not yet been determined, but it is believed it could have started in one of the vehicles.

Ward 61 councillor Dolly Munien told the North Coast Courier the cars were parked illegally on the side of the road on municipal land by a businessman who runs a local park-and-fly service.

She said she had previously raised concerns with the business owner and the eThekwini Metro on the matter, especially since she believed it raised the risk of theft.

“One is not allowed to park on the side of the road or run a business such as this on municipal land,” she said, pointing out that the vehicle owners were obviously not aware of where their cars had been parked.

Cars are collected at King Shaka International Airport from people opting to leave their cars with cheaper alternative storage services as opposed to the more expensive parking services offered at the airport.

While the company owner left repeated calls by the publication for comment unanswered, company driver Gavin Naidoo said owners knew how the company operated and where cars were stored.

He said the company’s insurance would cover the losses incurred in the blaze.

Average rates for park-and-fly services such as these run as low as R200 for three days, with a valet service included, but Munien maintained vehicle owners were not aware of the conditions under which cars were stored.

The company operates from a nearby property which was almost filled to capacity with more cars.

No injuries were reported and the Tongaat Fire Department managed to control the blaze before it could spread to nearby properties where trees had already been visibly scorched.

Zululand Observer meanwhile reports that the IPSS Medical Rescue team responded to the scene and reported that a bush fire had spread, burning the vehicles on the side of the road.