IT'S been five years since a devastating fire swept through the old Bank of Lisbon building in Joburg, claiming the lives of three firefighters.
On Tuesday, 7 November, the long-awaited findings of four separate investigations into the tragic incident were finally made public.
Among those now facing the consequences is the City of Joburg's Emergency Management Service (EMS).
A forensic investigation by TFS Africa found that the fire was caused by a heater based on “probabilities of facts”. This was despite one witness alluding that the fire was caused by an electric fault at the wall plug socket.
“The fire started as a result of flammable material in the surrounding areas of the heater such as files and toilet paper that caught alight and spread,” the report read.
The investigations also revealed that EMS' failure to consider the fire's conditions and heat in conjunction with standard firefighting operating procedures ultimately led to the tragic loss of life.
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These revelations come nearly five years after the 31-storey building, which housed various provincial government departments at 37 Pixley Ka Isaka Seme Street in the Joburg CBD was engulfed in flames on 5 September 2018.
On that fateful day, three firefighters Simphiwe Moropane (28), Mduduzi Ndlovu (40) and Khathutshelo Muedi (37) died while battling the blaze, while others were treated for serious injuries.
It was reported that Moropane died after falling from a ledge while trying to get some air. Ndlovu and Muedi were trapped in the building and died due to a lack of oxygen.
In the aftermath of the incident, the police, the City of Joburg, the provincial government and the Department of Labour all initiated investigations to determine the cause of the tragedy, which had been fueled by speculation about inadequate building maintenance or possible arson.
Shortly after the fire, the Department of Employment and Labour found that fire suppression systems were not installed in the building and that both tenant departments had not requested the certificate of occupancy from the landlord.
However, the final report has now gone into great lengths on how the three firefighters died, placing more heat on the EMS.
It was found that they failed to consider the conditions from the fire and heat alongside firefighting standard operating procedures, resulting in the deaths.
