Durban Harbour Fire

Kosmik said:
Lots of folks are donating stuff for the fire guys. Our neighbourhood watch has been doing runs down to drop food and drink donations every few hours. Nice to see community support, been a lot in durbs last few weeks with the assorted disasters.
Click to expand...
Nice guys, you Durban lot. Despite so many betrayals by government, your sense of community is commendable. Hats doffed.
 
supersunbird said:
So that is the big plume of smoke I saw coming home from Toti, I was like, "no way, is that fire still going?"
Click to expand...

Kosmik said:
Saw a pic was still smoldering at 10am this morning.
Click to expand...

Authorities are claiming the smoke is non toxic. Yet it has been blowing all over residential neighborhoods for days now and today it is blowing South.

Who thinks they are saying this to cover up what is really burning there?
 
Until I see a report from an independent laboratory saying it is safe I think I will stay indoors thank you
 
. #Durbanfire: Lack of water ‘fuelled’ inferno

Durban - Questions around fire safety emerged as an industrial inferno continued to burn in the south of Durban for a third day on Sunday.

It appears that the water supply was not available when the building on South Coast Road went up in flames on Friday morning; the closest fire hydrants were apparently dry and the fire suppression system in the warehouse may not have been up to scratch.

Key sources at the scene of the blaze said a valve on the main booster pump was turned off on Friday, possibly because renovations to the roof were under way.

They also said that when firefighters arrived at the scene, there was no pressure in the fire hydrants, and furthermore the fire suppression system, in their opinion, may not have been correctly designed.

The massive 52-acre warehouse complex, believed to have been the biggest in the southern hemisphere before it was razed, was being used to store a variety of products, including plastic polymers, wax panels, phosphate, fertiliser, chemicals and lucerne.

Investigations are still under way, but it is understood that a single, generic fire suppression system might have been in place.
Click to expand...

More at: http://www.iol.co.za/news/south-afr...banfire-lack-of-water-fuelled-inferno-8359863
 
schumi said:
. #Durbanfire: Lack of water ‘fuelled’ inferno



More at: http://www.iol.co.za/news/south-afr...banfire-lack-of-water-fuelled-inferno-8359863
Click to expand...

Judging from the aerial photos and our recent warehouse construction experience, it certainly looked inadequate. For a 8000m2 warehouse we have two large tanks of water, can't recall the litrage but they are over a storey high and quite wide. For one this size I'd expect multiple clusters all over the place to ensure sufficient pressure/distribution. Any myBB fire experts can comment?
 
Kosmik said:
Judging from the aerial photos and our recent warehouse construction experience, it certainly looked inadequate. For a 8000m2 warehouse we have two large tanks of water, can't recall the litrage but they are over a storey high and quite wide. For one this size I'd expect multiple clusters all over the place to ensure sufficient pressure/distribution. Any myBB fire experts can comment?
Click to expand...

I'm a pyromaniac. Can't help with the putting out stuff.
 
Given the age of the place, I would assume the internal fire suppression systems were woefully inadequate..

When I was there on Saturday and Sunday dropping stuff off, the photos are just not really any good since all you can see is a trashed warehouse and smoke billowing out the back of the structure.

IMG_0944.jpg

IMG_0946.jpg

The stuff is still be delivered to them today, another bakkie load of stuff was sent through, but hopefully it starts to taper down a bit because the guys are scaling back their presence on site since the fire is mostly under control.
 
Last edited:
Now the blame game begins.

The building is owned by Transnet but is being leased by PX Containers.
 
Durban fire contained

Durban - Ethekwini municipality firefighters are still monitoring the Transnet warehouse that caught fire last week.

Even though the fire had been contained, light smoke was still rising from parts of the warehouse on Tuesday morning.

Firefighters were working at the warehouse in shifts.

KwaZulu-Natal Economic Development MEC Sihle Zikalala and Ethekwini mayor Zandile Gumede were expected to inspect the damage caused by the fire.

It took three days to contain. The 21ha warehouse on South Coast Road contained large quantities of wax and plastic, the eThekwini municipality said.

A pall of black smoke that covered Durban since Friday morning had cleared.

News24
http://www.news24.com/SouthAfrica/News/durban-fire-contained-20170328
 
Servicing warehouse fire hydrants is our duty, says Transnet

Durban - Transnet has accepted it was its responsibility to ensure that fire hydrants were serviced at its Durban warehouse where a major fire broke out last week.

Transnet Property chief executive Thabo Lebelo, who along with government officials, conducted a site inspection earlier this week, said that while the warehouse was being leased by another company, the property was owned by Transnet.

It was unclear what materials were stored at the property, he said.

“What happened in the shed and the condition of the fire suppression system will be a part of the investigation. I am not in a position to speculate as to the condition of the system, but as the owner of the shed, the responsibility of making sure that it works rests with us,” said Lebelo.

The South Durban Community Environmental Alliance hosted a series of meetings to address community concerns and issues surrounding health impacts, damage to property, and an emergency plan for south Durban.
Click to expand...

More at: http://www.iol.co.za/news/south-afr...re-hydrants-is-our-duty-says-transnet-8460154
 
Clogged by wax

DURBAN - The effects of a three-day warehouse fire in Clairwood continues to plague the area as a clean-up team tries to rid the uMhlatuzana Canal of wax.

While Spill Tech, the emergency rapid response contractor, has been quiet on details of the clean-up operation, environmentalists are calling on the eThekwini Municipality to test water samples to determine the impact on marine life.

A source closely linked to the operation said the clean-up was far from over and the company had two teams working around the clock.
During the massive warehouse fire last month, smoke had engulfed the city.

A report on the matter is expected to be tabled at the eThekwini Municipality’s executive committee meeting.

The Daily News last week reported on the concerns from the South Durban Basin community, which is surrounded by oil refineries, about the city’s alleged lack of an emergency response plan should a disaster strike.
Click to expand...

More at: http://www.iol.co.za/dailynews/news/kwazulu-natal/clogged-by-wax-8620264
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top
Sign up to the MyBroadband newsletter
X