While many Capetonians embraced the chilly and cosy weather on Sunday, the atmosphere in Hawkins Avenue,
Epping 1, was anything but peaceful, as flames engulfed a local factory the night before.
The City of Cape Town’s Fire and Rescue Service responded swiftly after receiving reports of a blaze at approximately 20:40 on Saturday 17 May.
The incident took place at a premises believed to belong to Fine Chemicals.
“We had several crews on scene and the Incident Management Team Type 4 was activated, as the scale of the incident necessitated such a response in terms of manpower and vehicles,” confirmed Jermaine Carelse, spokesperson for the City’s Fire and Rescue Service.
According to Carelse, firefighters quickly established two divisions to contain the spread of the fire and worked methodically to bring the situation under control.
By 23:30, the fire had been extinguished.
Varying degrees of damage
Crews battled container and drum fires during the operation, and thorough inspections revealed that all four floors of the building had suffered varying degrees of water, smoke, and fire damage.
“The manager of fine chemicals was instructed to have a structural engineer assess the integrity of the building,” Carelse added.
Fortunately, no injuries were reported, though the full extent of the damage is still being assessed.
“The cause of the fire has yet to be determined and remains under investigation,” says Carelse.
Contact details for the City Fire services
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