Cars destroyed, dogs killed as fierce blaze engulfs shop

[caption id="attachment_38045" align="alignright" width="405"] UTTER DEVASTATION: Fire destroyed Rasta's Canopy and Bumper Repair in Booi Street, Kwazakhele. Owner Zola Makhuleni is surrounded by burnt-out cars. Picture: FREDLIN ADRIAAN[/caption]

FIREFIGHTERS battled for four hours to extinguish a blaze yesterday when a panelbeater's workshop in Kwazakele was engulfed in flames.

All four employees of Rasta's Canopy and Bumper Repair escaped unharmed. But the owner's four dogs died in the fire, and only rusty shells are left of the 12 cars that were parked in the yard for repairs.

The fire started shortly after noon at the yard's entrance in Booi Street.

Firefighters contained the fire before it spread into the workshop, where large gas bottles would have been exposed to the blaze. It is still unclear what caused the fire. - Riaan Marais