A large fire burning in the veld behind Greenpoint in Kimberley caused thick black smoke to billow over the city. The smoke has reportedly covered the airport, and there were concerns that it may be affecting air traffic.
Airport firefighters were seen with sirens blaring, returning to the airport after apparently trying attend to the fire.
Coinciding with the fire, a large power outage has affected parts of Kimberley, including Beaconsfield and Herlear. A Greenpoint resident say there are overhead power lines and pylons in the direction of the fire, raising concerns that the blaze may be linked to the power outage.
The cause of the fire is unknown at this time, and it is unclear whether the black smoke is emanating from a substation. However, the large amount of smoke is causing significant worry for residents.
The Kimberley Prospector will provide further updates as more information becomes available. Electricians are expected to attend to the power outage as soon as possible.
Update
“Fire from tyres burnt at old SPCA building in Greenpoint. Blaze extinguished by Fire Dept.
Pure coincidence that there was an outage in Beaconfield, Cassandra and Herlear.
Sol plaatje Municipality electricians are investigating cause emanating from mini-substation at corner Achilles Street and Egerton Road.” – Sol Plaatje Municipality