adminThe Herald, April 12, 1983
HERALD House was evacuated yesterday after a fire broke out in the extractor system of the newspaper’s technical wing.
A Herald librarian, Mr Hackson Matewe was in the third floor library when the screen over the duct blew off and smoke billowed out.
The duct, about 2m by 3m, reached from the ground floor to the third floor roof.
“There was a big bang at about midday and we were not sure where the fire was because there was smoke all over,” Mr Matewe said.
“We evacuated the library immediately and asked our readers to get out of the building . . .”
The fire brigade and the police were at the scene in minutes, blocking off Second Street in front of Herald House while two tenders drove into the lane behind the building.
The fire was extinguished in about 15 minutes. Production of the newspaper was not affected by the fire.
LESSONS FOR TODAY
Emergency services must always be on full alert and ready for emergencies such as fires. The fire was put out in just 15 minutes due to a quick response by the fire brigade.
The Harare fire brigade has on numerous occasions been blamed for reacting slowly to emergencies and for arriving at fire scenes without water in their tanks.
Things like water hydrants and fire extinguishers should be serviced regularly to ensure that they are in proper working condition since they are the first line of defence in case of fire outbreaks.
Employers should ensure that their employees take part in fire drills from time to time, and are well-versed on the course of action to take in case of a fire.
A fire that broke out recently on the first floor of Joina City located in the central business district, was contained quickly due to the swift action by the security guard manning the building.
Online Reporter