Swift action by Bulawayo Fire Brigade saves trucks and buildings

The Bulawayo Fire Brigade responded promptly to a massive fire that broke out at Cotton Printers in the Belmont industrial area yesterday afternoon, managing to save three trucks and nearby buildings from destruction. The fire gutted a warehouse belonging to the struggling textile company, destroying property stored inside.

Chief Fire Officer Mr. Mhlangano Moyo confirmed that the Fire Brigade arrived at the scene just seven minutes after receiving a call about the fire. "We received a report of a grass fire at Leeds Street in Belmont, but upon arrival, we discovered it had escalated. The call came at 13:08, and we arrived at 13:15. By then, the fire had spread into Cotton Printers, setting ablaze plastic drums and cotton waste inside the warehouse," Mr. Moyo explained.

The warehouse, constructed from zinc and metal frames, was engulfed by flames that required the Fire Brigade to call in additional resources. "We deployed five fire engines to control the blaze and successfully saved the main building and three trucks parked on the premises," added Mr. Moyo.

Despite water shedding challenges in the area, the Fire Brigade used a 10,000-litre water carrier alongside the fire engines to bring the fire under control.

The building had recently been sold to new owners, who had hired workers to clean the premises in preparation for reopening. One of the workers, Mr. Conway Choto, described the scene when they noticed the fire: "We saw thick black smoke coming from the back of the building. The warehouse had plastic containers with chemicals and bales of cotton-like material. By the time the Fire Brigade arrived, the contents were fully ablaze," he said.

Firefighters focused on extinguishing the warehouse blaze while also dealing with a veld fire on the premises' perimeter to prevent further spread to nearby structures. A water bowser arrived as backup to aid in the firefighting efforts.

This fire is the second major incident in the city in less than two weeks. On September 16, the Fire Brigade responded to a blaze at the National Railways of Zimbabwe (NRZ) Bulawayo mechanical workshop, where 51 decommissioned passenger coaches were destroyed.

Though the cause of the Cotton Printers fire is yet to be confirmed, swift action by the Fire Brigade prevented what could have been a far worse disaster. The warehouse, heavily damaged in the fire, was scheduled to be reopened under new management in early October.