A fire left a trail of destruction at some business premises on Kirkman Road in Tynwald, Harare, after reducing to ashes 12 Mercedes Benz vehicles, lawn mowers and generators, among other valuables, last Friday.

The inferno also destroyed nine gum poles and a 5000-liter plastic tank.

Shortly after that, a similar incident occurred at Shamwari Farm in Mt Hampden, Harare, resulting in the destruction of 10 hectares of maize.

In a statement, national police spokesperson, Commissioner Paul Nyathi confirmed the two incidents.

"The ZRP confirms a fire incident which occurred at business premises along Kirkman Road in Tynwald, Harare, on May 31, 2024. Twelve Mercedes Benz vehicles, lawn mowers, generators, nine gum poles and a 5000 litre plastic tank were burnt after fire broke at the premises.

"Meanwhile, a 10 hectare maize field was burnt after a veld fire spread at Shamwari Farm in Mt Hampden, Harare, on June 1, 2024," he said.

However, the cause of the fire is yet to be established.

This comes at a time when Harare firefighters are battling a surge of inferno incidents, with over 780 fire calls received so far this year.

In most cases, the fire incidents are attributed to careless practices, gas line explosions and electrical short circuits.

Gas line explosions are often caused by leaks or improper installations, while electrical short circuits can result from faulty or outdated wiring.