Kempton Park – A potentially devastating fire at the Premier Hotel near OR Tambo International Airport was contained late on Wednesday night after swift intervention by City of Ekurhuleni firefighters, authorities confirmed.
Emergency services responded to a structural fire at the eight-storey hotel shortly after 23:20, following a call to the life-threatening emergency call centre.
According to community safety activist Yusuf Abramjee, the hotel was “saved from the horror of fire” after emergency crews were rapidly dispatched to the scene.
“A well alight structural fire call was received via the life-threatening emergency Call Center and resources were dispatched promptly for intervention,” Abramjee said.
Fire crews from Albertina Sisulu and Kempton Park fire stations were first to arrive, supported by additional teams from Farrarmere and Boksburg’s Leon Ferreira fire stations.
Hotel saved from horror of fire. @City_Ekurhuleni
Premier Hotel situated adjacent to O.R.Tambo International Airport in Kempton Park was saved from the horror of fire yesterday evening by swift intervention from City of Ekurhuleni (CoE) firefighters.
A well alight… https://t.co/hwl5VL7X2M
— Yusuf Abramjee (@Abramjee) February 12, 2026
When firefighters reached the hotel, much of the building was engulfed in smoke.
“On arrival, the bigger part of the eight-storey hotel building was in a cloud of smoke,” Abramjee said.
Firefighters assisted with evacuating guests and staff while simultaneously working to contain the blaze, which had broken out on the seventh floor.
“Flames were spotted up on the seventh floor and the entire upper floor was already on high risk,” he said.
During the rescue operation, firefighters saved a guest trapped on a balcony.
“While busy with fire suppression, one guest was identified and rescued from the window balcony up on the seventh floor,” Abramjee said.
Authorities confirmed that all occupants were safely evacuated. A roll call showed that 158 guests and 23 staff members had been accounted for at an assembly point.
Two guests, aged 60 and 41, were treated for smoke inhalation by paramedics but declined hospitalisation.
Abramjee said preliminary findings suggest the fire may have been caused by an electrical fault.
“The seat of the fire was on the seventh floor, from one of the guest’s sleeping room and was spreading at a faster rate to adjacent rooms and upper floor,” he said.
“Currently while the investigation is still ongoing, it is alleged that an electrical short-circuit from the wall plug where a portable appliance was connected might be the cause of the fire.”
Firefighters ventilated the building using specialised equipment to clear smoke from the structure. Authorities confirmed that 11 guest rooms sustained severe smoke damage.
According to information gathered at the scene, the hotel was about 50% occupied at the time of the fire.
Investigations are ongoing to determine the exact cause of the blaze.
Follow African Insider on Facebook, X and Instagram
Picture: Pixabay
For more African news, visit Africaninsider.com
Compiled by Betha Madhomu
