Scottburgh burns as thieves flee with more than 360 metres of cable
The fire ran rampant as near-gale-force winds caused it to spread as far as Park Rynie, sending an already worried community into further panic.
Pandemonium broke out on Monday morning when flames spread out of control along the railway line opposite Bermuda Avenue, Scottburgh, smoking nearby residents out of their homes and bringing traffic to a standstill, South Coast Herald reports.
The fire ran rampant, as near-gale-force winds caused it to spread as far as Park Rynie, sending an already worried community into further panic.
READ MORE: Death of five Pretoria children ‘linked’ to cable theft
Concerned locals who spoke to the Mail on the condition of anonymity said that they had all attempted to contact both the Umdoni Fire and Disaster Department and Umdoni Municipality but were unsuccessful.
“It is concerning to note that eThekwini Fire and Disaster had to be dispatched to assist in controlling and extinguishing an Umdoni fire,” said one local.
“What was even more shocking was seeing just how uncoordinated and ineffective Umdoni firefighters are. Even the fire hose they used had multiple leaks.”
Journalists noticed an Umdoni fire tanker at the scene, which appeared to have been abandoned.
Shortly afterwards, an eThekwini Fire and Disaster team arrived and quickly went to work, attempting to get the blaze under control.
It seems that the cause of the fire may have been due to overhead railway cables being severed.
Cables were later found in a pile near Bermuda Avenue, metres away from the railway line, suggesting that they had been cut, possibly by thieves.
Staff from the Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa arrived and were informed that both electric cables were still live and that electric pylons were sparking profusely, further hampering efforts by the firemen.
An additional Umdoni Fire and Disaster Department vehicle arrived moments later.
Another local, who believes that these incidents are not isolated, said that a similar event occurred in Clansthal in December last year. She believes that cable thieves are to blame.
Later that afternoon, a second fire broke out, resulting in the same road being closed off completely, from Scott Street right through to Mtunzi Park.
Local firemen again worked tirelessly to contain the blaze – some five hours after the initial blaze had been extinguished.
Local voluntary emergency medical assistance, in the person of Stephan Smith, worked quickly to close off the road to avoid road users interfering with the firemen’s work.
A passenger train had also come to a standstill as the blaze continued to engulf much of the dense and severely overgrown bush. Again, some 40 metres away from the initial scene, cables were found to have been severed.
Scottburgh SAPS communications officer Captain Vincent Pandarum said no case had been registered for investigation. He urged locals who spotted suspicious activities to contact their local police station at 10111.
Umdoni Municipality was contacted in order to provide additional contact details for the local Fire and Disaster Department.
However, communications officer Zime Gcaba had not yet returned from holiday. Fortunately, Councillor Shara Singh was able to provide the details.
Locals are urged to contact the Fire and Disaster Department at 039-974-1061 or Umdoni Protection Services at 039-974-9500 in the event of an emergency.
A day after the blaze it was confirmed that a total of 365 metres of cable had been severed and removed between Scottburgh and Park Rynie.
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