[VEREENIGING – 07 DECEMBER 2011 AT 17H00]
5 Fire Fighters have been injured after they were fighting a veld fire, that allegedly started next to the R82 in Vereeniging, crossed over a wall and carried on burning through a property. On the property were various pieces of scrap metal, including parts of vehicles and gas cylinders.
ER24 arrived on the scene and found the local Fire Department trying to keep the fire from spreading any further on the farm. It is believed that while the Firemen were extinguishing the fire, some of the old gas cylinders were right in the heat, causing them to explode where the 5 men closest to the explosion got hurt. They were lucky enough to have suffered only minor injuries from the blast, but were taken to hospital for further medical examination.
The fire was finally contained to a smaller area and was then extinguished by the remaining Firemen at the scene. How the fire actually started is not know, but it was not long before it started to spread and thanks to the quick reaction of the Fire Department, the damage to property was contained to a small area.
Derrick Banks, ER24