Bulawayo firefighters battle 4 blazes in 1 day

Bulawayo firefighters were stretched to the limit yesterday after battling four separate fires across the city, including a major blaze that gutted a two-storey building in the central business district.

Three veld fires were reported in different parts of the city while firefighters were also called to the city centre, where a raging fire tore through a building along Leopard Takawira Avenue between George Silundika Street and Fife Street.

No fatalities were reported, although the fires caused extensive property damage and placed significant pressure on the city's emergency response resources.

The most serious incident broke out at around 1pm when smoke was spotted coming from the CBD building.

Bulawayo Fire Brigade chief fire officer Mhlangano Moyo said the fire was reported by a Bulawayo City Council employee who noticed smoke coming from the building opposite his office at City Hall.

"We received a call from a colleague who works at the City Hall who said he had noticed smoke coming out of an opposite building from his workplace, so we have reason to believe that the fire had spread throughout the building before it was reported," Moyo said.

The fire brigade deployed eight fire engines and two water bowsers to contain the blaze.

"We understand that one gentleman was taken to hospital by a private ambulance, possibly to be treated for smoke inhalation," Moyo said.

He confirmed that there were no fatalities and said investigations were still under way to determine the cause of the fire.

The building, which was completely destroyed, housed students renting rooms on the first floor, while several businesses operated from the ground floor.

Firefighters found several gas cylinders inside the building which were believed to have been used by students staying on the upper floor.

"We observed several gas cylinders that we believe were being used by students who rented rooms on the first floor, although our investigations are yet to determine the cause of the fire. We will know the definite cause of the fire by tomorrow," Moyo said.

Among the businesses operating on the ground floor were a bar, restaurant, pharmacy and a company that arranged outdoor activities around the Matopos National Park and other recreational and safari destinations.

As the flames spread through the building, a woman trapped inside was forced to jump from the first floor to escape.

A group of bystanders reportedly joined hands and positioned themselves below her, helping to break her fall.

One of the rescuers said the woman had no other option as the fire rapidly spread through the building.

The city's firefighters had already been dealing with several emergencies before being summoned to the CBD.

Teams were deployed to a veld fire near the National University of Science and Technology (Nust), while another crew attended a fire in Newton West suburb. A third team was called to a veld fire in the Gumtree area.

The multiple incidents placed additional pressure on the emergency services as crews moved between different parts of the city.

The latest fires come after the fire brigade earlier this week battled a blaze that destroyed large areas of vegetation around How Mine on the outskirts of Bulawayo and in Manningdale suburb.

The incidents have renewed concerns over the city's capacity to respond to multiple emergencies at the same time, particularly during the dry season when veld fires become increasingly common.

Although no lives were lost in yesterday's fires, the extensive destruction of property serves as another warning of the potentially devastating consequences of fire outbreaks and the need for adequately resourced emergency services capable of responding rapidly to multiple incidents.