Fire guts Acacia Mall restaurant

Fire on Monday broke out at Cafeserrie restaurant at Acacia Mall, destroying its kitchen.

A statement from the Acacia Mall management indicates that evacuation was carried out immediately after the fire alarm went on, leaving no causalities as the attendants left the scene unharmed.

"The evacuation is part of our health and safety policy following a fire incident that took place in one of the kitchens belonging to a tenant" the statement said.

This statement further assured the public that it is their mandate to ensure the highest safety standards at the mall to protect the customers and tenants.

Marc Du Toit, the head of retail business in the mall said that the fire was as a result of molten grease that is formed out of cooking oil which was ignited.

He added that the safety of the mall was aided by the automatic fire suppression system that detected fire and released water immediately.

"The fire was as a result of the coagulated cooking oils which formed grease like substances that are stuck in the extraction canopy of one of the machines used in the kitchen. So when they were cooking, fire erupted" he noted.

A Cafeserrie manager who preferred anonymity said that she registered damages ranging from cooking equipment to flooding of the restaurant which led to the partial closure of the restaurant.

"I cannot say that I had no damages, the whole kitchen was full of equipment and all of them are of no more use. We have closed the one part of the restaurant as we fix the problem within the shortest time possible" she said.

The Assistant Inspector General of Police in charge of Fire Prevention and Rescue Services Joseph Mugisa confirmed the fire outbreak saying that they made a rapid response with the help of the vicinity security and found the fire still burning on the ground floor.

"We suppressed the fire with haste, and it would have spread all over the mall, if there was no immediate intervention" he said.