Smell of fire from illegal dumpsite spreads across Centurion
The fire was first reported in the early hours of Wednesday morning and firefighters were able to leave the scene by 13:00.
After an illegal dumpsite near Panorama Road in Centurion caught fire last night, the bad smell spread through the area, forcing residents awake.
The area has been in the spotlight recently as the privately owned land has been used as an illegal dumpsite and informal waste sorting facility.
Residents have been worried about the site in the past as they said it posed a safety and security risk.
According to ward 64 councillor, Alta de Kock, firefighters had left the scene by 13:00.
Residents reported being woken up around 02:00 on Wednesday by the strong smell of smoke.
De Kock said trucks had to make multiple trips to refill their water tanks before gaining control over the blaze.
The exact cause of the fire remains uncertain, and no injury was reported.
Tshwane emergency services had not commented at the time of publishing.
De Kock worried that such fires would get worse in the winter when the cold forces people to make open fires to warm themselves up while surrounded by dry vegetation.
“We have to stop illegal dumping,” she said.
While the councillor was at the scene, she reported that five trucks came to dump at the site, three carrying garden refuse and two building rubble.
De Kock said as the land was private property, there was little that could be done immediately to stop them.
Ward 70 councillor Marika Kruger-Muller said she was also woken up by the smell this morning near Mall@Reds.
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