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UPDATE: Waterkloof Airforce Base fire extinguished, SANDF confirms
The fire erupted from a fuel pipeline above the ground.
A fire at the Waterkloof Airforce Base in Pretoria has been contained. Photo: Twitter/@Abramjee
The SA National Defence Force (SANDF) said the fire that erupted from a fuel pipe on Sunday evening has been put out.
“No one was injured. There was no explosion, it was just a fire that started and affected two fuel tanks. Everything is under control as we speak, their fire has been extinguished,” General Andries Mahapa told eNCA on Sunday night.
When reports of the fire first emerged on Sunday, the Tshwane fire department said it hasn’t received any alert about the blaze.
Spokesperson Roland Fredericks said a truck has been sent to the base to investigate.
“I just spoke to emergency control room, no fire has been reported in the past couple of hours. We did send a vehicle to investigate whether there is a fire, or possible grass fire around the base.
“We will send out an update as soon as we receive any further information,” he told The Citizen on Sunday night.
Anti-crime activist Yusuf Abramjee tweeted a photograph of a fire burning, saying it was at the airbase.
Other users posted video clips.
Mahapa said at least seven fire trucks were stationed at the base in case the fire erupts again.
It was not yet known what caused the fire. An investigation is ongoing.
The latest fire incident sparked fears that there could be another attack on another National Key Point.
Sections of the Parliament building and the Constitutional Court were attacked in the past few weeks, revealing an inefficient crime intelligence service.
A hammer was used to smash windows and doors at the entrance of the apex court a day after Acting Chief Justice Raymond Zondo handed the first part of the state capture report.
The Old and New Assembly buildings of Parliament were destroyed by a fire on 2 January fire that raged for two days.
