Richards Bay residents have raised health concerns as plumes of smoke continue to engulf the area of Arboretum from the huge fire at the NCT mill that continues to burn.
The fire broke out on Saturday at the wood chip mill and is still burning despite extensive efforts to extinguish it. A lot of work is also being done to ensure it does not spread to a neighbouring wood chip mill and the phosphate fertiliser company Foskor, which the City of uMhlathuze said would be “catastrophic” for the area.
Transnet’s Richards Bay Bulk Terminal said one of its conveyor belts undergoing repairs suffered some damage after a fire yesterday, which it believed was linked to the NCT fire.
Arboretum resident Salome van der Merwe, 37, said the wind was blowing the smoke into the residential area where she lived, and as a result she woke up at 2am yesterday morning battling to breathe.
“I am going to see a doctor. I am experiencing allergies and my asthma is flaring up due to the smoke. My hands and feet started to swell. I have an allergic reaction all over my body and my asthma is very bad. I have severe headaches, too,” she said.
Barbara Skinner, 39, another resident from the Arboretum area, where residents’ homes were saved from the fire on Saturday, said the smoke was really bad on Tuesday night. She said it worsened in the early morning.
“I've needed to nebulise frequently and use my asthma pump more often – can't even walk to my bathroom without struggling to breathe,” she said.
Several other residents commented on Facebook that they were experiencing migraines, itchy eyes and skin, stuffy noses and irritated chests.
Sandy Camminga of the Richards Bay Clean Air Association (RBCAA), which has been monitoring the situation since Saturday, said the fire was negatively affecting air quality, which was already compromised due to Transnet’s coal operations within the port.
“The residential areas were most affected on Saturday night and Sunday with heavy smoke, ash, and ember fallout. A number of the RBCAA’s ambient monitoring stations recorded significantly elevated particulate (dust) with the wind change,” she said.
Camminga said that by Tuesday the wind had changed direction, offering some respite to residents, however, the port was affected. She said the RBCAA would remain vigilant, with the wind predicted to shift to a south\south-easterly direction tomorrow.
“A major concern for the RBCAA has been the proximity of the fire to the Foskor fertiliser plant, which is a major hazardous installation. In our engagement with Foskor on Monday night, Foskor assured the RBCAA that they have implemented measures to address the risks, and that they remained vigilant,” said Camminga.
Regarding its fire, Richards Bay Bulk Terminal said the adjacent conveyor belts which were in full operation were safe and emergency teams reacted swiftly to contain the fire. “It is suspected that the root cause was burnt wood chips blown by the wind from the adjacent wood chips precinct that is currently under fire, which subsequently entered the gallery, landing on the conveyor belt. Terminal operations have not been affected,” said the terminal.
A neighbouring wood chip company, TWK, said in a statement to employees that teams were working hard to protect the assets of the company, “which are currently at high risk”.
Speaking to The Mercury, Meerensee Community Policing Forum vice-chairperson and patrols co-ordinator Henk van Niekerk, who has close ties with businesses in the area, said he visited TWK on Tuesday.
He said farmers and directors of TWK were on site protecting existing stockpiles while the burning NCT heaps burned out.
“I’ve been here where the directors of TWK themselves have been driving the tractors and working, so the guys’ commitment to getting things done is clearly impressive,” said Van Niekerk.
The City of uMhlathuze said on Tuesday that firefighters along with the private sector were working hard to try to stop the blaze from moving beyond NCT company premises.
“While the main goal is to completely put the fire out, another priority is to make sure that it is well contained and prevented from proceeding to the neighbouring company, TWK, which also produces wood chip like NCT, and further to Foskor, a chemical company, which would create an unfathomable catastrophic tragedy for the entire Richards Bay.”
The municipality added that representatives from provincial and local government, businesses and other stakeholders met and agreed to form a Joint Operations Committee (JOC) that will meet twice daily and provide updates regarding the fire.
In an update yesterday, uMhlathuze councillor Henning de Wet announced that one portion of the burning wood chip stockpile currently posing a risk to TWK had been flattened and extinguished. “Efforts are still continuing on the remainder of the stockpile. Once this is completed the focus will shift to the other stockpiles that are still burning,” he said.
