Blaze at Pender Gardens

A fire blazed for almost four hours at the Pender Gardens building site in St Julians yesterday after wooden boards used during the construction works ignited.

What started out as small flames on the roof of the development site's underground parking area, which is still being built, grew into a raging fire as the wind spread the flames, Civil Protection Department director, Peter Cordina said.

No one was injured but some residents close by were evacuated as a precaution. The fire's origin was not known, Mr Cordina said, adding that investigations were to be held.

The blaze started at about 4 p.m. when wooden shuttering, used for the laying of concrete, burst into flames. As the flames spread, members of the Civil Protection Department struggled to contain the fire, which was eventually doused at about 7.45 p.m., Mr Cordina said.

Six fire engines and at least two ambulances were on the scene just in case anyone needed medical assistance. Curious onlookers gathered around the perimeter of the construction site to try and get a glimpse of the source of the white billowing smoke.

The wind blew the fumes in the direction of the Hilton Hotel and residents were asked to evacuate their homes and to avoid the inhalation of the hazardous smoke.

Meanwhile, residents at The Gardens, on the other side of the site, gathered on their rooftops and balconies to witness the blaze.

One of The Gardens' residents, Michelle Thornton, was out on her balcony hanging the laundry when the site's fire alarm went off.

"It started with a small smoulder but then it sort of exploded," she said as she stood in the garden of her house back to back with the site.

Mrs Thornton had been living there for about seven years with her husband and their 12-year-old son and six-year-old daughter.

While they did not feel particularly endangered yesterday, given that the wind was blowing in the opposite direction, Mrs Thornton explained she was initially concerned that the fire might spread closer to her home especially since the civil protection members were having difficulty putting it out.

"I think this is a wake-up call... are they well equipped to deal with large fires in Malta. What would happen if large developments like the Hilton or the Westin hotels were to go up in flames?" she questioned. She said she feared it would be a lost battle if the CPD was not adequately equipped to deal with such large-scale fires.

Over the past years residents in the areas surrounding the Pender Gardens' project have filed various objections to the development both in court and with the planning authority. In one court case residents claimed the project would cause them irreparable damages due to the project's density and high-rise element.

The project covers an area of 18,500 square metres and will include apartments, garages, shops and a tower.

Last month the government published a draft law on the avoidance of damage to third party property which, among other things, obliges developers to take out insurance to cover any damage they may cause to neighbouring property during construction works.

The document, that can be viewed on www.mrra.gov.mt, is open for consultation. Pender Ville Ltd, thanked the police and the CPD for their professionalism.