Pretoria firefighter injured in fire at local brewery
The firefighter sustained serious injuries to his leg after falling during attempts to put out the fire, according to the Tshwane emergency services.
A devastating fire broke out at a local brewery near Atteridgeville, in Pretoria West, on Saturday afternoon, January 4, causing damage to the building and leaving one firefighter seriously injured.
Tshwane emergency services (EMS) spokesperson Lindsay Mnguni said the fire at the Phelindaba Brewery was reported to the Emergency Communication Centre (ECC) around 17:03, triggering an immediate dispatch of firefighting resources from multiple stations across the city.
“The fire was completely extinguished on Sunday morning, January 5, around 04:22, but the cause of the fire is still unknown at this stage.
Firefighting resources from Central Fire Station, Philip Nel Park Fire Station, Atteridgeville Fire Station, Rosslyn Fire Station, Silverton Fire Station, and Wonderboom Fire Station were immediately dispatched to the scene.”
Mnguni said the resources included two fire engines, a ladder, two water tankers, a mobile command unit, a district commander’s unit, and a video unit.
Image: Supplied
The severity of the fire was evident even before the firefighters arrived on the scene, with a large plume of black smoke visible from a distance.
“When we arrived, firefighters discovered that the decanting area of the brewery was engulfed in flames, with the fire spreading to the adjacent canteen building.”
Image: Supplied
Firefighters swiftly extinguished the fire, saving a large portion of the canteen building, with only about a quarter of the building affected.
“The fire at the decanting area was controlled at about 18:49, but the main structure and the roof had collapsed, creating major voids from the iron sheets.
The complexity of the incident necessitated additional resources.
Several more firefighting resources from Hatfield Fire Station, Heuweloord Fire Station, and Innesdale Fire Station were dispatched by the ECC as backup due to the complexity of the incident.”
He explained that the fire had also caused a minor chemical spillage, with hazardous materials such as liquid sodium hydroxide UN1824 (caustic soda) in 20-litre plastic cans affected.
“The firefighters’ response and their on-site operations helped contain the fire to the affected decanting area, which prevented it from spreading to the other nearby chemicals such as ammonia, carbon dioxide, and lactic acid within the processing plant.”
Mnguni said one firefighter sustained serious injuries to his leg when he slipped and fell during firefighting operations. The firefighter was immediately treated and transported to a private hospital.
Mnguni urged the public to report any fire or rescue incident by calling 107 toll-free or alternatively calling 012 358 6300/6400.
He also stressed the importance of remaining calm, speaking clearly, knowing your location to give the correct address, and providing your correct contact number to allow the operator to phone you back should they require doing so.
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