Fire razes business houses in Gordon

A FIRE razed through shops at Gordon in Port Moresby on Sunday afternoon but the estimated cost of damage and what caused it are yet to be established.
Officer in charge of the Waigani fire station Arifeae Farapo told The National that no lives were put in danger but they managed to save a dog which was trapped inside a burning building. The fire razed the Radtel communications and service centre and the Momo fast-food shop.
“No deaths – we saved a dog trapped in there,” he said.
Farapo said two fire trucks from Waigani and Boroko managed to contain the fire.
“Firefighters from the fire station in town also assisted,” Farapo said.
Farapo could not confirm the exact number of buildings and businesses affected until details were obtained from the tenants.
He also could not confirm the cause of the fire.
The fire is believed to have started at about 3pm at the freezer section in one of the buildings.
Firefighters managed to bring the fire under control by 6pm.
Acting Chief Fire Officer Bill Roo announced last week that a computer-aided dispatch system would be set up in Port Moresby to monitor emergency calls to the Fire Service.
Roo said this was to make sure the firemen responded quickly to calls and the rescues were carried out effectively.