As thick black smoke lingers over Pretoria North, authorities warn of runaway fires amid very hot and windy conditions.
The South African Weather Service has issued a red fire index, warning Tshwane residents about dangerous veld fire conditions over most parts of Gauteng, expected to persist until today.
City of Tshwane emergency services department acting spokesperson Lindsay Mnguni warned communities to remain alert.
“Conditions are such that the fire index is above 75. Under these conditions, fires may develop and spread rapidly,” said Mnguni.
“Very hot and windy conditions may result in runaway veld or bush fires.”
Tyre factory blaze operations continue
Mnguni confirmed that damping-down firefighting and mopping up operations were still underway after a tyre factory in Pretoria North caught fire on Saturday.
The city was criticised by the DA and volunteer groups after it apparently refused their help during the fire incidents over the weekend.
The city’s “primary objective was to secure the perimeter of the fire and prevent the blaze from spreading to surrounding properties”, Mnguni said.
Progress and challenges
He said considerable work has been achieved in the past four days since the fire broke out and firefighters were painstakingly unbundling the many tyres that were being processed on the site.
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“Some of the tyres melted and joined together. Wood and metals also added to the fire load and created a challenge of inaccessibility to the fire hotspots,” he said.
Mnguni estimated the storage area affected by the fire was about 10 000m² and of varying stacking height.
“Our teams are using heavy machinery and equipment, such as tractor-loader-backhoes and bulldozers, to move the smouldering tyres and heaps of burning ashes from the fire ground so they can hose the concealed fire,” he said.
“There are still adequate resources on-site and we are hoping to come to the end of the firefighting operations soon.”
Mnguni said a firefighter suffered a minor injury during the incident. The cause of the fire has not yet been determined.
Thick black cloud over Pretoria North
Sinoville Brandbestrydingsvereniging spokesperson Zenobia Loock said a thick black cloud of smoke was still hanging over Pretoria North after the tyre fire broke out near Akasia High School.
“The smoke, which is drifting heavily over residential areas and the highway to Brits, can pose a health risk, especially to people with asthma,” she said.
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