Owner devastated after fire at shooting range

The owner of the Dwarskloof Shooting Range believes there is foul play involved following a fire at his business last week.

Rand West Emergency Services Fire Chief Benny Mohlabeng said that they received an emergency call at around 21:00 on May 7. He added that the initial response team requested back up and thereafter the Krugersdorp and Westonaria fire brigade responded as well.

Besides five fire trucks, 16 emergency medical service members were also on scene with Mohlabeng stating that a full crew had to be on scene the following day as well.

“The cause of the fire is unknown at this stage, however, an investigation is underway,” Mohlabeng said.

The owner of the shooting range, Riaan Slabbert, told the Randfontein Herald the fire must have started later in the night since he had driven past the shooting range around 20:00 and he did not see any signs of a fire.

He said the tyres of the shooting range caught fire and immediately illuminated the surrounding areas. The fire brigade arrived on the scene minutes later.

Slabbert claimed further that he is waiting for the forensic results that may give some sort of indication of what transpired. He believes it might be arson, but cannot prove it at this stage.

He also stated that he is grateful to the community members and fire brigade who fought tirelessly for more than two days to contain the fire. He added that their time and efforts mean a lot to him and his family.

Furthermore, Slabbert apologised to the shooting community, security firms and public protection units that utilise their facility for training.

“We understand the importance of a safe and reliable environment for firearm education and practice, and we are committed to restoring that as soon as possible,” he said.

He also expressed the despair that he had to endure.

“My business, our livelihood, was engulfed in flames, reducing all our hard work to ashes. It pains me deeply to see the result of such senseless destruction, especially knowing that my family and I relocated from the Northern Cape to the West Rand, seeking a fresh start and a better life for our children. The shooting range was not just a business to us; it was a dream we poured our hearts and souls into, only to watch it go up in smoke,” he said.

Dwarskloof residents have meanwhile expressed their concern about the ongoing smoke.

According to Charity Segwapa, who stays roughly one kilometre away from the shooting range, the smoke is a health hazard.

“I feel like the incident has not been attended to properly by the owner. It has been days and the fire has still not been extinguished. As residents of Dwarskloof, we are experiencing serious respiratory problems. We struggle to breathe at night, we are experiencing headaches, and have congested noses and chests. It is even difficult to do laundry because it smells like smoke. It would be bad to wake up with a dead body due to this smoke inhalation especially at night when we are sleeping,” Segwapa stated.

Segwapa added the Dwarskloof community needs someone to urgently attend to the matter or else they might be left with permanent health problems.