{"id":44749,"date":"2013-09-03T11:45:00","date_gmt":"2013-09-03T09:45:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/germistoncitynews.co.za\/44749\/factory-goes-up-in-flamesorfirefighters-tackle-factory-fire\/"},"modified":"2013-10-03T12:11:49","modified_gmt":"2013-10-03T10:11:49","slug":"factory-goes-up-in-flamesorfirefighters-tackle-factory-fire","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/develop.citizen.co.za\/germiston-city-news\/news-headlines\/2013\/09\/03\/factory-goes-up-in-flamesorfirefighters-tackle-factory-fire\/","title":{"rendered":"Factory goes up in flames"},"content":{"rendered":"

Thick clouds of smoke filled the air over the city on Wednesday afternoon .<\/p>\n

The cause: a factory fire in Driehoek.<\/p>

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Ekurhuleni Emergency Services responded in force to the fire, at the corner of Simgold Street and Cocopan Crescent, Driehoek.<\/p>\n

No fatalities or injuries due to the blaze were reported on the scene.<\/p>

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“Information at our disposal was that the fire was started by a grass fire behind the factory,” said William Ntladi, media liaison officer for Ekurhuleni Disaster and Emergency Management Services.<\/p>\n

“The grass was ignited by welding works which were being conducted on old electrical transformers, which were being stored on the open piece of land behind the factory.<\/p>\n

“The dry grass caught fire as a result of the welding works being conducted and then ignited the transformers, which had oil in them, and the intense fire spread over the precast wall into the factory building.”<\/p>\n

Upon arrival of the fire crews, the factory structure was well alight and the fire was spreading very rapidly across the building.<\/p>\n

“Swift intervention from the crews who arrived first prevented the fire from spreading to the adjacent building,” said Ntladi.<\/p>\n

“The flames were contained and knocked down through an offensive internal fire attack strategy.”<\/p>\n

All 45 factory staff members were accounted for.<\/p>\n

They all evacuated the premises safely without anyone being injured.<\/p>\n

Ntladi added that detailed investigations are being conducted to establish the actual cause of the fire.<\/p>\n