Early Morning Fire At Sandown Village Office Park

In the early hours of Monday, 18 November 2024, a structural fire broke out at Sandown Village Office Park on Maude Street in Sandton Central.

The blaze, which engulfed the top floor of an office block, prompted a swift response from multiple emergency teams, successfully containing the fire without injuries.
The fire was first detected at 3:52am, triggering an alert from Fidelity ADT Monitoring to emergency services.
The City of Johannesburg Emergency Management Services (COJ EMS) and Fidelity SecureFire teams were dispatched promptly, with the first units arriving on the scene by 4:06am.
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Upon arrival, firefighters found the second floor of the office block gutted by flames, which had quickly spread to the upper levels. According to Nana Radebe-Kgiba, spokesperson for COJ EMS, the situation required a coordinated effort to bring the fire under control.

Sandown Village Office Park — The fire significantly affected offices used by one of Johannesburg’s oldest groups of advocates. Image: The Sandton Times

One of the key challenges during the operation was a malfunctioning municipal fire pump according to reports. SecureFire’s Engine stepped in to assist, ensuring the firefighting efforts could proceed without delay. By 5:03am, the fire was contained, and teams worked diligently to extinguish remaining hot-spots. The scene was declared safe by 6:10am, and emergency crews cleared the area.

Fortunately, no casualties or injuries were reported. Netcare 911 arrived on the scene to provide medical assistance. Shalen Ramduth, Operations Director for Netcare 911, confirmed there were no injuries requiring medical attention.

Wahl Bartmann, CEO of Fidelity Services Group, commended the collaborative efforts of emergency responders but highlighted the systemic challenges faced by municipal firefighting teams.

One of the key challenges experienced by our existing municipal structures is the lack of water in the fire hydrants. Even if the response is on time, they may be hamstrung with no water, as was the case.

// CEO of Fidelity Services Group, Wahl Bartmann

While the fire was successfully contained, the cause of the blaze remains under investigation. Fire Safety teams from the City of Johannesburg are conducting preliminary assessments to determine what sparked the incident. According to Nana Radebe-Kgiba, investigations will focus on identifying the source of the fire and whether any preventative measures could have mitigated the extent of the damage.

Despite the challenges, the swift and coordinated response from COJ EMS, SecureFire, and Netcare 911 ensured that the fire was contained efficiently and without loss of life. As investigations continue, tenants and stakeholders at Sandown Village Office Park will work to recover from the incident and restore operations.

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