At approximately 1:00 pm this afternoon (2 November 2012) employees of Sydenham Lkiquor noticed smoke coming from under the wooden floor below their empty bottle store on Grahamstown Road.
Soon the entire bottle storage area was ablaze.
Alerted by the Apprentice Longhair we looked down towards Grahamstown Road and, from our vantage point in Parsons Hill, it appeared as though the fire was right next to the stadium. Initial and incorrect radio reports said that it was Finro’s that was on fire.
Traffic and emergency services blocked off access to Grahamstown Road and traffic coming down from Uitenhage Road was directed to Patterson Road – even from Patterson Road one could see the rear of the two businesses most affected by the fire – Sydenham Liquors’ empty bottle storage area and PE Bolt and Nut.
Media were taken close to the fire via the rear entrance past the Builders Warehouse truss manufacturing and storage area, where Builders Warehouse personnel were removing valuable electronic equipment and wood out of their premises
The cause of the fire is unknown at this stage.
Images of the Sydenham Liquor fire below taken by myself and the Apprentice Longhair.
Firemen douse the Sydenham Liquor Fire
Firemen douse the Sydenham Liquor Fire through roll up doors
Intense heat from Sydenham Liquor Fire
One wonders if the water will be enough
Just before an internal wall fell down
Fire tender looking down service lane from Grahamstown Road
Sydenham Liquor empty bottle storage area and PE Bolt and Nut on Grahamstown Road
The Grahamstown Road fire from Patterson Road
At first it looked as if the fire was right next to the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium
