Online Reporter
Vusumuzi Dube/Bongani Ndlovu, Chronicle Writers
INVESTIGATIONS into a fire that gutted a popular Bulawayo eatery, Fairy Café, have concluded that there was no arson or foul play involved, with officials from the Bulawayo Fire and Ambulance Services determining that the blaze most likely resulted from an internal incident that went undetected for several hours.
Sources close to the investigation revealed that evidence gathered at the scene showed that all the premises’ doors were properly locked and secured at the time the fire started, forcing firefighters to break them down to gain entry when they arrived to extinguish the blaze.
“The findings clearly show that the building was secure when the fire began. All entry points were locked and firefighters had to break the doors to gain access during emergency response operations,” said a source familiar with the investigation.
Another source disclosed that an alarm had been triggered at the premises at around 1am on the night of the incident.
Security personnel from a company contracted to monitor the premises reportedly attended the site but dismissed the alert as a false alarm.
“There was an alarm that went off around 1am and the security company responded, but after their checks they declared it a false alarm,” said another source.
“In hindsight, if that alarm had been properly investigated, the fire could most probably have been detected early and possibly prevented from spreading.”
A second alarm, sources said, was triggered at approximately 3am but this one was reportedly ignored.
“Another alarm went off around 3am and this one was not attended to. It was only more than an hour later that the fire was eventually reported,” one of the sources said.
When the incident was first reported to emergency services, it was initially described as a litter fire before the scale of the blaze became apparent.
Firefighters later responded to the scene and battled the flames, but by the time the fire was contained the well-known eatery had already suffered extensive damage.
Fairy Café, located in Bulawayo’s central business district, has long been a popular dining spot among residents and visitors, making the incident a significant loss to the city’s hospitality sector.
Authorities have since reiterated that the investigations found no evidence of deliberate sabotage.
“This is something that has been confirmed by both the Bulawayo Fire Brigade and the forensic team from the Zimbabwe Republic Police.
“There was also the issue of the gas cylinders that were not properly closed, which could have made the fire more intense but now all indications show that there was no arson at all,” said the source
In the aftermath of the fire, investigations led by forensic experts from the Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) last month ruled out arson, lightning and careless disposal of lit materials as possible causes of the blaze after examining debris from the scene.
According to findings from the forensic team, the most probable cause of the fire was an electrical fault, possibly from an appliance or electrical gadget that had been left switched on overnight.
Then, officials from the Bulawayo Fire and Ambulance Services said preliminary assessments indicate that property worth about US$1 million was destroyed in the blaze.
The total estimated value of the building and assets at the premises was placed at around US$1,5 million, with firefighters managing to salvage property valued at approximately US$500 000.
The Fire Brigade then also noted that nearly 80 percent of the restaurant’s interior and roofing structure was destroyed by the fire before it was eventually contained.
Bongani Ndlovu