Bradlows in Louis Trichardt suffered over a million rands worth of damage last Wednesday, August 22, after a devastating fire swept through the store.

According to local Bradlows branch manager Mr Sammy Buys, he received a call from their Johannesburg-based security company at 23:30, informing him of a problem inside the shop. He then rushed to the store and by the time he got there, local fire fighters were already struggling hard to contain the fire inside the store. Fire fighters had to smash a display window and break down the burglar proofing to gain access.

The fire was extinguished in a matter of minutes, but by that time had already destroyed most of the furniture in the showroom.

Mr Buys said nobody knows what caused to fire, although members of the public, who phoned the fire brigade, said the fire apparently started burning in the front left corner of the store. This could be true as the ceiling in this part of the building was completely destroyed while the rest was left relatively intact. In the meantime, police are investigating the cause of the fire.

Mr Buys said that although the fire caused close to R1,2 million worth of damage, he is thankful that the furniture in the storeroom was spared. He was also thankful that the fire did not spread to the neighbouring Russells due to a high-quality fire wall.

Mr Buys assured clients that, despite the fire, they will still be able to make payments within Russells. As for the possibility that Bradlows will be moving, Mr Buys said that although they have not decided yet, one option might be next to Clicks in Krogh Street