The rooftop of the headquarters of local power utility CEM on Estrada de D. Maria II caught fire at about 6 p.m. on Friday, the Fire Services Bureau (CB) said in a statement that night.
The high-rise building, which is currently covered in scaffolding, is undergoing renovation work on its exterior.
Firefighters and Public Security Police (PSP) officers rushed to the scene. The rooftop blaze was put out by the renovation project’s welders with several fire extinguishers, the statement said, adding that since there were still puffs of smoke, firefighters continued hosing down the area to lower the temperature.
According to the statement, firefighters said they believed that sparks from a welding machine that caused nearby debris to catch alight were possibly the reason for the fire. It added that the building was being renovated at the time of the fire, and there was burnt debris at the site. The fire affected a nearby water tower.
The burning area covered about three metres by three metres, the statement pointed out.
The statement said that about 50 people self-evacuated during the incident, underlining that no one was injured or required hospitalisation.
Three fire engines are parked outside power utility CEM’s headquarters on Estrada de D. Maria II during Friday’s fire-fighting operation. – Photo courtesy of TDM
