A case of arson is being investigated after a factory was destroyed by a raging fire, while further investigations are being conducted into a blaze that engulfed a private home. Alfred Duma Municipality firefighters battled two fires that completely destroyed a house in Spinner Road and the Bawas Furniture factory store along Illing Road.
Both fires occurred on Thursday evening, 25 June. The house fire in Spinner Road shocked the neighbourhood and residents watched in disbelief as metre-high flames ripped through the house and billowing black smoke engulfed the area. Two local security officers, who were patrolling in the area, helped the residents to remove their vehicles from the garage and ensured that all family members were moved out of the house safely. “We had to break the vehicle windows to gain entry to try and push the vehicles away from the fire,” said the security officers, who had also notified the Alfred Duma Municipal Fire Department.
Other residents had desperately tried to fight the fire by dousing the engulfed house with buckets of water and with garden hoses. “It happened so quickly and before we knew it the whole house was on fire,” said onlookers. After firefighters brought the house fire under control and prevented it from spreading to other homes, they had to respond to another emergency call after a fire broke out at the Bawas Furniture factory store along Illing Road. Firefighters geared up, after spending almost two hours at the house and rushed to the factory. The blaze had completely engulfed the factory. Firefighters worked to ensure that the fire did not spread to the rest of the factories in the area. Police told The Ladysmith Herald that an arson case has been opened in relation to the Bawas Factory store, but that further investigation needed to be done at the house fire in Spinner Road. “The factory owner alleges that in recent days he had problems with his staff and the premises were broken into,” said the police. Police added that everything was in order when the factory closed and then the fire was reported at 9pm.
