- Firefighters spent almost 20 hours fighting a fire that erupted at a tyre workshop in Boksburg.
- They managed to save the Engen petrol station and its convenience shop, but part of the tyre workshop was destroyed.
- No injuries were reported.
When a tyre workshop went up in flames in Boksburg on Sunday evening, Ekurhuleni Emergency Services officials fought tirelessly to prevent it from spreading to a nearby petrol station.
Two fire trucks were assigned to protect the petrol station and it took firefighters almost 20 long hours to completely contain the blaze.
Police spokesperson Captain Mavela Masondo told News24 it all started when a veld fire spread towards tyres outside a second-hand tyre dealer’s premises.
City of Ekurhuleni Disaster and Emergency Services (DEMS) spokesperson Eric Maloka told News24 that the firefighters managed to protect the petrol station and a convenience shop from catching alight, but that part of the tyre workshop was destroyed.
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“What was damaged was the workshop where there were some tyres, which [were] located at the back of the petrol station. The front part of the shop, where the petrol station convenience store was, was fine,” Maloka said.
“The call was first reported as a petrol station on fire but upon [firefighters’] arrival, they reported that it was the tyre workshop on fire and then they started to protect the petrol station because it was going to be disastrous. Fortunately, the fire was coming from the back. Two vehicles protected the building. One started to put out the fire from the back and other ones [made] sure that the fire [didn’t] spread,” the spokesperson said.
It took 17 firefighters and five fire trucks until 02:00 the following day to contain the fire.
“A case of malicious damage to property is being investigated by Boksburg SAPS,” Masondo said.
