Load shedding suspected to be behind Durban flat fire

Boulevard Court building, was well alight when the Durban Fire Department arrived. The building is above Hickorys Pawn shop is situated on the corner of Dr Langalibalele Dube (Winder) Street, Norge Lane and Mahatma Gandhi (Point) Road. Picture: Facebook

Boulevard Court building, was well alight when the Durban Fire Department arrived. The building is above Hickorys Pawn shop is situated on the corner of Dr Langalibalele Dube (Winder) Street, Norge Lane and Mahatma Gandhi (Point) Road. Picture: Facebook

Published Mar 20, 2019

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Durban -  Firefighters who extinguished a fire in a flat in the Point area believe the cause could have been a pot that had been left on the stove during load shedding on Tuesday. 

The flat, on the fifth floor of Boulevard Court building, was well alight when the Durban Fire Department arrived. 

The building is above Hickorys Pawn shop, situated on the corner of Dr Langalibalele Dube (Winder) Street, Norge Lane and Mahatma Gandhi (Point) Road.

Two children were alone in the flat when it caught it alight and managed to get out of the flat before the fire could spread. 

EThekwini municipality spokesperson Msawakhe Mayisela said on initial approach, the officials from the Fire Department found smoke emitting from the building and the flat well alight. 

"We investigated the floor above the fire floor and found no signs of any fire spread. There were no injuries to firefighters.  We suspect that the fire was caused by a pot that was left on the stove prior to load shedding (cooking), forgotten during load shedding and caught alight when electricity returned. The incident was left in the care of building supervisor,"Mayisela said. 

In light of the incident and in order to avoid similar incidents, officials from the municipality pleaded to residents to take the necessary precautions and switch off these appliances before or when the supply goes off.

"Please note that claims made against the Municipality for damaged appliances as a result of load shedding will not be successful in terms of the Municipality's Electricity Supply by-law 18 paragraph (1) and (2).” he stated. 

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