Police probe fire at Biovac building

PINELANDS police are investigating a fire that damaged the inside roof of the Biovac building in Alexandra Road, Pinelands early yesterday.

The incident, which caused a flurry of speculation on social media, has been addressed by Mayco member for safety and security, JP Smith, who released a statement that said preliminary investigations suggested the building’s heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) were at fault.

Smith said that fire services from Roeland Street, Brooklyn, Epping and Bellville had swiftly extinguished the flames just before 8am.

“There is no evidence that this was an attempted attack on Covid vaccine stores as is being speculated, especially since preliminary investigations suggest the fire’s origin was related to an HVAC fault. However, due to the prompt response of our fire services, only a separate building suffered damage, while the laboratory itself was completely protected.

“The scene has been handed over to the police for further investigation, as per the standard procedure. I must say that it is imperative that we reject the notion of those spreading fake news and false claims through social media as it spreads unnecessary fear,” Smith said.

Police spokesperson Joseph Swartbooi said: “We can confirm that a fire caused some damage to the inside roof of the air-conditioning side of the building at a Biovac building in Alexandra Road in Pinelands yesterday morning … The fire was extinguished by local firefighters, and our reports indicate that the fire was not on the side of the laboratory (in) the building.”