A storeroom and documentation were damaged when a fire broke out at the Office of the Public Protector at 51 Wale Street yesterday, Thursday July 29.
The City’s Fire and Rescue Service spokesperson, Jermaine Carelse, said the Roeland Street fire department responded to an emergency call at 9am and by 10.03am the fire on the fourth floor of the building had been extinguished.
“While the building was evacuated, crews from Roeland Street Fire Station had managed to contain the blaze to a single room.
“One person was treated on the scene for smoke inhalation and a fire investigator has been requested to ascertain the cause of the fire.”
The public protector’s office did not respond to requests for comment from the CapeTowner.
Meanwhile, in a separate incident, the take-away kitchen of Bo-Kaap’s Biesmiellah restaurant at 2 Wale Street was destroyed in a fire on Tuesday night, July 27.
Shoukat Osman, a manager of the 44-year-old establishment, said neighbours alerted the owners to the danger.
“We closed early so there was no staff here thankfully, and it’s only the take-away kitchen that is badly damaged but still we will be closed for a week. The fire department acted swiftly and for that we are grateful too.”
Mr Carelse said they received an emergency call at 21.36pm.
Crews from Roeland Street, Sea Point and Milnerton fire stations were dispatched and managed to contain the fire to the rear of the kitchen.
“The fire was extinguished at 22.24pm and the building was handed over to the owners. The cause of the fire is not yet known,” Mr Carelse said.
_ Additional reporting by Shahied Joseph