A massive fire broke out at a fuel truck company in Hillcrest, Benoni, Ekurhuleni, after welding works went wrong, setting three petrol tankers ablaze.
According to the City of Ekurhuleni Disaster and Emergency Management Services (DEMS), two articulated trucks and a rigid truck caught fire, posing a major risk due to the large amounts of fuel on site. One of the articulated trucks was fully loaded with 40,000 litres of petrol in the main trailer and 15,000 litres in the pup trailer. The second articulated truck’s trailer was empty, but still highly volatile due to residual fuel vapours. The rigid truck carried another 15,000 litres of petrol.
Firefighters acted swiftly, applying foam to suppress the flames and prevent further explosions. It took a team of 20 firefighters from four different fire stations nearly two hours to fully extinguish the fire. The yard housed multiple trucks and fuel tanks, heightening the risk of a catastrophic explosion that could have affected surrounding businesses.
Fortunately, no casualties were reported. Preliminary investigations suggest that welding sparks ignited the fire, spreading rapidly to the parked trucks. Fire safety officials are continuing their investigation into the incident.
This close call highlights the extreme dangers of handling fuel in industrial settings and the importance of strict fire safety measures.
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