Chaos erupted at Pretoria’s Steve Biko Academic Hospital early Saturday when a fire broke out on the seventh floor, filling the intensive care unit (ICU) with smoke and forcing the evacuation of 21 patients.
The incident saw 20 adults and one child hurriedly moved from the sixth-floor ICU to unaffected wards.
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Steve Biko Academic Hospital On Fire
City of Tshwane Emergency Services spokesperson Lindsay Mnguni confirmed there were no fatalities or injuries.
“When the fire broke out, the staff immediately started evacuation procedures,” he said.
The fire, which started at about 00:45, ignited in the plant room on the seventh floor, where the hospital’s uninterrupted power supply (UPS) batteries are housed. The UPS system, crucial for backup power during outages, uses lithium-ion batteries, which caught fire, causing the smoke to engulf the floor below.
Mnguni explained that firefighters arriving at the scene worked swiftly to contain the blaze and assist with patient evacuations.
“Apart from immediately commencing firefighting operations, the firefighters also assisted with evacuating patients and staff to other wards of the hospital not affected by the fire,” he said.
The Rescue Efforts
Steve Biko Academic Hospital On Fire [Image: MDN News]The rescue efforts involved a massive deployment of resources, including fire engines, a ladder truck, rapid intervention units, a mobile command unit, and support from three fire stations — Central, Innesdale, and Hatfield. Firefighters also used mechanical positive-pressure ventilation units to clear the smoke from the affected floors.
Electricians from the hospital isolated the power supply to the burning batteries, preventing further damage. Despite these efforts, the fire took hours to extinguish and was only fully under control by 04:42.
The cause of the fire remains under investigation.
“The cause [of the fire] has not yet been determined,” Mnguni added.
The ICU evacuation marks another unsettling incident for South Africa’s healthcare facilities. Hospital officials have yet to release a statement regarding the long-term impact of the fire.