This is according to the scrapyard owner, Steyn Wepener, who told OFM News that contrary to reports by a daily newspaper, the vehicles that were torched in the fire were in fact scrap vehicles and not towing vehicles.

Wepener also said that there were no substantial financial losses or physical injuries recorded and while he was not in Bloemfontein at the time of the incident, he can also confirm that the fire was not a serious one. While Wepener said that it was not a substantial number of vehicles involved, a source who requested not to be named said the number Wepener provided was underreported and in fact, as many as 20 scrap vehicles were damaged in the fire.

The source also stated that there was no water in the area on Friday, which worsened the situation, making it harder for locals to extinguish the fire before the arrival of the city’s fire services. Meanwhile, spokesperson at the Mangaung Metropolitan Municipality, Qondile Khedama, said that the fire team was dispatched to the area on Friday afternoon around 17h00. The cause of the fire is not yet known and will form part of ongoing investigations.

OFM News