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Worcester – A cigarette butt was presumably responsible for a fire on Saturday in which four tents burnt down at the Ramfest rock festival near Worcester.
Smoke was seen at the tents shortly after 14:30 and concertgoers rushed over.
Security personnel put out the fire within minutes.
No-one was injured but Karl Kemp, 18, who was sleeping in a neighbouring tent, managed to escape just in time. A friend yelled at him: "The tent is burning! Get away!"
This was exactly what he did. Kemp had only praise for security personnel.
Mac Archibald, 22, originally from Canada but currently working in SA, stood stunned next to the smouldering remains of his tent. His visa and passport had been inside. Some of the other people who lost tents had been swimming in the river when the fire started.
Archibald was at the parking area when the fire broke out. Like many others, he suspected that a cigarette butt was the cause.
Festival organiser Henk Fourie also believed a cigarette butt or braai coals could have caused the fire. He was relieved that it was put out so quickly.
"It is sad that this is now the story," he said, holding a fire extinguisher under his arm. Some of SA's most popular rock groups (The Narrow, Lark and Boo!), which didn't often perform locally, were at the festival.
The fire department was also quickly on the scene and ensured that the fire did not start up again. The fire did not curb the rockers' enthusiasm.
"Although this did happen, it was the best festival ever," said Kyle Gray, 24. "Ramfest will rock into eternity!"
Smoke was seen at the tents shortly after 14:30 and concertgoers rushed over.
Security personnel put out the fire within minutes.
No-one was injured but Karl Kemp, 18, who was sleeping in a neighbouring tent, managed to escape just in time. A friend yelled at him: "The tent is burning! Get away!"
This was exactly what he did. Kemp had only praise for security personnel.
Mac Archibald, 22, originally from Canada but currently working in SA, stood stunned next to the smouldering remains of his tent. His visa and passport had been inside. Some of the other people who lost tents had been swimming in the river when the fire started.
Archibald was at the parking area when the fire broke out. Like many others, he suspected that a cigarette butt was the cause.
Festival organiser Henk Fourie also believed a cigarette butt or braai coals could have caused the fire. He was relieved that it was put out so quickly.
"It is sad that this is now the story," he said, holding a fire extinguisher under his arm. Some of SA's most popular rock groups (The Narrow, Lark and Boo!), which didn't often perform locally, were at the festival.
The fire department was also quickly on the scene and ensured that the fire did not start up again. The fire did not curb the rockers' enthusiasm.
"Although this did happen, it was the best festival ever," said Kyle Gray, 24. "Ramfest will rock into eternity!"
