Fire at Wits Junction
A fire broke out last week at Wits Junction when an iron melted and exploded inside a student’s room.
The unidentified student left his iron on a stove plate while both appliances were switched on.
Clifford Chauke, a staff resident at Junction, said he received an emergency call at 12.00am early last week. Two security guards and a warden were already at the scene.
“We broke and entered into the room and the fire extinguisher was applied,” he said.
When they entered the room and the smoke had cleared, they realised the stove and the student’s iron had been left switched on.
Only the stove and the student’s iron were damaged “the iron itself had burned completely and the room was pitch black from all the smoke from the cables,” said Chauke.
The student was moved to a visitor’s room while the burnt walls in his room are being painted and a new stove is being installed.
Chauke blamed the fire on the student as management has sent emails asking students to remember to switch off all appliances.
Wits Junction manager Nazime Randera declined to comment on the fire and referred questions to Campus Housing and Residence Life head Selina Pendihama. Pendihama said she was unable to comment on the fire.
