Cape Town building on fire

Feebearing - Cape Town - 150305 - The roof of the Westerford building on Main Street in Newlands caught a light. The cause of the fire is still unknown but it has been brought under control with help for the fire department's boom operated fire hose truck. Pictured: Firefighters use the boom to reach the rooftop fire. PICTURE: WILLEM LAW

Feebearing - Cape Town - 150305 - The roof of the Westerford building on Main Street in Newlands caught a light. The cause of the fire is still unknown but it has been brought under control with help for the fire department's boom operated fire hose truck. Pictured: Firefighters use the boom to reach the rooftop fire. PICTURE: WILLEM LAW

Published Mar 5, 2015

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Cape Town - A Newlands building caught alight early on Thursday and forced employees of a collection of Media24 companies to evacuate it in a hurry .

The fire was believed to have started about 7.30am on Thursday at the Westerford Building in Main Road.

Seven fire vehicles responded to the scene, as the traffic at the intersection of Dean and Main Road, Newlands, slowed to a crawl.

Marie Samson, 75, a resident of a retirement home across the road from the building, known as the old Southern Life building to locals, said it was soon after 7.45am when she noticed the fire on the floor for the first time and the building’s whole roof was alight.

The roof collapsed.

Authorities could not confirm at the time of going to press that a person was missing.

“At this point we have no reports of injuries. Firefighters are on the scene,” Cape Town fire chief Ian Schnetler told Sapa earlier.

According to reports, the Westerford High School was evacuated as a precautionary measure.

The three-storey building houses various companies.

City of Cape Town mayoral committee member for safety and security JP Smith said the fire was not related to the Muizenberg fire that broke out over the weekend.

“This is a separate incident, the fires are not related,” he said.

Smith could not provide more details.

Cape Argus and Sapa

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