Fire left a section of the Rosebank Terrace North building damaged and without electricity.
A fire broke out at Rosebank Terrace North, an office building at corner Sturdee and Jellicoe avenues around midday on 13 August.
According to a security guard who was on duty at a building close by at the time, the fire was preceded by a loud bang and the back section of the building was suddenly engulfed in flames.
“Police were patrolling the area and when they saw the fire, they quickly drove to the fire station to get help,” he said.
“The fire lasted for almost 30 minutes but firefighters had everything under control.”
A fire broke out at Rosebank Terrace North on the corner of Sturdee and Jellicoe avenues around midday on 13 August.
The building, managed by Eris Property Group, houses a number of businesses and among those affected by the fire is a software company, Micro to Mainframe which moved in almost a year ago.
Derrick Beling, managing director for company, said he was alerted about the fire on that Saturday by his business accountant. “We needed to access the server through the internet at 1pm. When we were unable to get through, our accountant went into the office,” said Beling.
“He phoned me at roughly 2pm to say the office had blown up.”
An eyewitness says the fire which destroyed a portion of the Rosebank Terrace North building was preceded by a loud bang.
The MD said he had recently acquired a case of special wine which he kept in the air-conditioned server room and when he heard the news his first reaction was ‘Oh no, that’s cooked my wine’.
According to Beling, an electrical substation underneath their offices exploded. “This really upsets me, as I have it on good authority that the most common cause of the explosions in substations is the result of improper maintenance.
“I would certainly like to see the maintenance record of that substation.”
He said it was unclear when they would resume work due to the damage caused by the blaze. He said the office was unusable and it would take well over a week to clean. “We do not have electricity and the soot makes it uninhabitable and I have no idea how long it will take to repair the building.
“I’m certainly not expecting to move back in for at least a month and [will only] be fully functional after three months.”
Rosebank Police spokesperson, Sergeant Bongi Mdletshe said the fire was caused by an electrical fault. “No foul play is suspected, therefore no case has been opened.”
Thabo Ledwaba Property Services Manager at Eris Property Services Group declined to give comment on the incident, saying the company was currently conducting an investigation.
