Otjiwarongo firefighters dodge crocs to douse blaze

Firefighters were forced to work around large crocodiles when a fire reached the thatched roof of an enclosure at the Otjiwarongo Crocodile Farm on Monday. Neither the reptiles nor the firefighters were injured in the blaze.

Otjiwarongo municipality chief fire officer Daniel Pavaza said the "very, very high-risk" operation became particularly dangerous because firefighters had to work around the crocodiles while trying to stop the fire from spreading.

"It was a risky operation," he told Namibian Sun.

The experienced crew not only kept the fire from spreading to the rest of the ranch, which includes a restaurant and accommodation facilities, but also had to navigate around the frightened animals, only metres away.

"What transpired is the wind picked up some of the grass in what we call the bird's nest … and threw it inside the crocodile pond," Pavaza said.

Firefighters entered the pond area and herded the crocodiles towards a safer section as smoke spread through the enclosure.

Pavaza said the animals are highly sensitive to smoke, making it important to move them away from the affected area while the blaze was brought under control.

Firefighters eventually extinguished the blaze and removed the section of the thatched roof to prevent it from continuing to burn.

The fire brigade was later called to a separate grass fire near another restaurant in the central part of the town, which was also successfully contained.

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