Two businesses in the Maitland CID area went up in flames in May causing major damages. The owners of Zanzibar café on the corner of Voortrekker and Kensington, was sleeping on the premises when they were alerted by people on the street that the place is on fire. They managed to escape, but he shop was totally gutted. The fire at Liquor Mait was extinguished by employees of the shop by using fire extinguishers.