Masvingo fire brigade criticised

Masvingo residents have criticised their city council's fire brigade for failing to swiftly respond to reports of fire outbreaks.
Early last month a family in the city's affluent suburb of Rhodene lost property worth several thousands of dollars when their house was gutted by fire. The fire brigade was called but arrived without adequate water.  Residents had to fetch water in buckets to try to put out the fire. Two weeks ago, property worth about $1 million dollars was destroyed when two shops belonging to TN Holdings and Zim-Copiers Upmarket along Hofmeyer Street caught fire suspected to have been caused by an electrical fault.
The incident that was confirmed by police happened in the afternoon.  The fire broke out from the TN Holdings shop's ceiling and spread to Zim-Copiers Upmarket.
Council's response to the infernos has raised many questions over its disaster preparedness.
Masvingo provincial police spokesperson, Inspector Peter Zhanero said TN furniture manager saw smoke coming out from the ceiling of the shop and ordered his subordinates to take out the furniture that included sofas and beds while others alerted the Fire Brigade and police.  They only managed to take out a few items before the fire engulfed the whole shop.
Insp Zhanero said the Fire Brigade arrived after a few minutes but failed to contain the blaze, resulting in it spreading to Zim-Copiers Upmarket where everything was destroyed.
"We received a report of fire outbreak from TN furniture branch manager, Mr Freddy Gwanonga, to the effect that their shop was burning.  He noticed a thick cloud of smoke coming from the ceiling of the shop. He ordered the rest of the employees to take out furniture from the burning shop while others alerted the fire brigade.
"He alerted staff from the next shop, Zim-Copiers Upmarket stationery shop that had highly flammable products. However, they did not manage to rescue their stock and it was all destroyed.
"The fire brigade attended the scene but they were overwhelmed by the fire. They eventually put out the fire but the property in the two shops had been completely destroyed, save for a few sofas that the TN Holdings staff had managed to move out," said Insp Zhanero. He said police were yet to ascertain the value of property that was destroyed.
"We are waiting for our forensic experts from Harare who can tell what caused the fire," he saidHe said the place was still manned by police until the arrival of forensic experts.
Efforts to get a comment from the local authority failed with Mayor Alderman Femius Chakabuda said to be out of the country on council business on Friday.