The Bulawayo City Council (BCC) has firmly denied allegations that its Fire Brigade responded late to a property fire in Suburbs, which occurred late on July 27.
The fire, reported by a neighbour at 23:45 hours, saw the dispatch of four fire appliances to the scene within a minute of receiving the call. The Brigade arrived within five minutes, contradicting claims that their response was delayed.
Upon arrival, the fire had already engulfed most of the main house, causing significant structural damage. The firefighting team, equipped with four fire engines carrying 10 400 litres of water, promptly began operations using two fire hydrants.
Nesisa Mpofu, Corporate Communications Manager for the City of Bulawayo, also refuted claims that their fire trucks arrived empty.
“The fire engines are always full of water and fully operational upon arrival. Firefighting and rescue operations began immediately, and our team’s reaction time was just one minute, which was witnessed by the neighbour who made the report,” she stated.
Eyewitnesses and residents initially struggled to report the fire due to confusion over the correct contact number for the Fire Brigade. Many dialed 029271717 without the required 02922 prefix. One neighbour, driven by urgency, went directly to the Famona Fire Station to report the fire. By the time firefighters arrived, the blaze had spread extensively.
The fire is suspected to have started due to an electrical fault shortly after power was restored to the area.
Residents Lincoln Tshuma and Victor Nkala, who live in the outbuilding, heard an explosion about 15 minutes after electricity was restored. They attempted to call for help using various incorrect numbers and pressed the security panic button, but the response from the Security Company was delayed.
The security guard on duty confirmed that the fire had been burning for nearly 30 minutes before it was finally reported to the Fire Brigade.
Mpofu reiterated that the local authority is well-prepared to handle emergencies.
“Our officers are internationally trained and our fire engines are always ready for immediate deployment. We encourage residents to ensure they have the correct Fire Brigade contact numbers and to call us first before attempting to tackle fires on their own,” she said.
The Fire Brigade can be reached at 02922 71717 – 9 for all networks and 993 and 994 for landlines only.
