Fire breaks out in 1 Utama shopping complex due to exhaust fan malfunction

Plumes of smoke were seen above the 1 Utama shopping mall this morning when a small fire broke out at the Food Republic food court in the new wing of the complex, The Star reported today.

“We can confirm there was a small fire originating from the kitchen of one of the stalls at Food Republic. The fire did not spread and was extinguished soon after,” The Star quoted a 1 Utama spokesman as saying.

"The management is waiting for a report on the cause of the fire and will conduct an inquiry into the matter.”

Meanwhile, a spokesman from the Damansara Utama Fire and Rescue Department told The Star that mall staff had already put out the fire by the time firemen had arrived at the scene at 9.30am.

"The fire could have started because the exhaust fan could not fully absorb the flames from a grill located in the kitchen," he was quoted as saying in the report.

The spokesman from 1 Utama said no one was hurt in the incident and that the mall had opened for business as usual at 10am.

Food Republic said that built-in fire safety systems had functioned well and were instrumental in controlling the fire.

In a statement issued today, they said that the food court would be closed until further notice.

They added that the Fire Department is currently investigating the possible cause of the incident. – July 11, 2014.