WATCH | Fire on the runway! OR Tambo forced into ‘temporary closure’

Parts of OR Tambo Airport were engulfed by flames and thick smoke on Monday afternoon, after a nearby veld fire spread onto Runway 21L/03R.

Sep 5, 2022 - 17:48
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WATCH | Fire on the runway! OR Tambo forced into ‘temporary closure’

OR Tambo Airport was forced to close one of its two runways on Monday afternoon, after a nearby veld fire spilled onto its grounds. Emergency crews are now responding to the blaze – but flights remain undisrupted as of 16:45 on 5 September.

OR Tambo fire: Latest news and updates on Monday 5 September

Photos and videos of big, billowing smoke clouds near the airport raised concerns amongst locals. The site in Kempton Park is the biggest travel hub in South Africa, so an incident like this is far from ideal. Despite the runway closure, OR Tambo still remains open for business.

OR Tambo Airport fire
Fire engulfed part of the OR Tambo Airport Precinct on Monday 5 September. However, operations have continued as normal this evening – Photo: SA Reports / Twitter

WATCH: Runway closed after fire breaks out in Kempton Park

The smoke also covered nearby roads, making driving conditions in this part of Gauteng more difficult than usual. As confirmed by Ward 17 Councillor Simon Lapping earlier, ACSA will now be deployed to investigate the exact cause of this fire – and its trajectory towards the airport.

Runway inferno: Will the blaze cause any delays at OR Tambo Airport?

OR Tambo issued a direct statement from their own social media channels, confirming which runway was affected and how emergency teams have responded to the threat. Airport officials have thanked the public for their patience, and we’re expecting another update later this evening.

“Please note we have temporarily closed the runway 21L/03R due to a veld fire that spilled over from an adjacent community within the airport Precinct. Our fire and rescue team is working to extinguish the blaze. Your patience and understanding is appreciated.” | OR Tambo statement

  • Flights are, however, running as scheduled on Monday…