An elderly man has died after a devastating fire tore through the top floor and roof of an apartment block in Sea Point yesterday, with firefighters remaining on scene overnight to deal with flare-ups.

The blaze broke out at the Dorchester apartment block on High Level Road at about 15:30.

According to the City’s fire and rescue services spokesperson Jermaine Carelse, crews from several fire stations were dispatched after reports of a flat on fire.

“When firefighters arrived, the fire was confirmed on the top floor of the building, and the roof subsequently collapsed,” said Carelse.

Medical personnel performed CPR on an elderly male resident who lived on the top floor, but efforts to revive him were unsuccessful.

The man, believed to have been in his 90s, was declared dead at 16:35.

Firefighters used a turntable ladder to battle the blaze from above as the fire spread through the roof void. The staircase also collapsed during the incident, complicating firefighting efforts.

The City’s Incident Management Team (IMT) Type 4 was activated to coordinate the response.

Carelse said one firefighter sustained injuries during the operation and was taken to hospital.

The fire on the fourth floor was eventually contained at around 21:30, allowing emergency services to scale back resources.

The last firefighting crews left the scene at about 03:25 this morning.

However, a flare-up was reported at about 06:00, prompting firefighters to return.

Carelse said crews quickly isolated and extinguished the flare-up before using a thermal imaging camera to check for remaining hotspots.

“One crew will remain on scene for the next few hours as a precaution,” he said.

Carelse said the cause of the fire has not yet been determined.

“The police has launched an investigation, while a building inspector will assess the structural integrity of the apartment block once it is safe to do so.”

Ward 54 councillor Nicola Jowell extended her condolences to the family of the deceased and thanked firefighters for the tireless efforts.

She also expressed her gratitude towards the residents for their support.

“There has been a phenomenal outpour from the community offering assistance for accommodation. It is heartwarming to see how people always jump to help wherever they can. I take my hat off to the firefighters, a huge thank you to them for their heroic efforts.”

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