Night Fire Razes Down Market in Ngara, Nairobi

A night fire erupted at Ngara Market in Nairobi on Sunday, December 1, sending thick plumes of smoke into the air and alarming traders and residents.

Millions worth of property are feared to be burnt to ashes in the section of the open-air economic zone which houses hundreds of small-scale traders selling all manner of merchandise.

The blaze reportedly broke out at around 9:30 p.m., but the cause of the fire has not yet been established.

Videos obtained by Kenyans.co.ke depict a desperate scene as the fire raged, prompting an urgent response from the Nairobi City County fire team.

Shortly after the incident, firefighters from Nairobi County arrived quickly at the scene and immediately set to put out the raging inferno.

Relevant authorities have not yet determined the cause of the fire, nor has there been any confirmation of injuries or casualties.

Recent months have seen Nairobi plagued by a spate of fire incidents with this latest outbreak adding to the growing concern.

It comes barely a fortnight after another fire in Nairobi left at least six people dead and 16 others with injuries in the Majengo area of Kamukunji.

The fire is alleged to have erupted at around 8.30 pm which burnt at least 50 houses forcing the affected families to spend the night out in the cold. 

Nairobi County’s Governor, Johnson Sakaja recently inspected fire damage at a trading area on Desai Road, Ngara, on September 2, where numerous traders lost their livelihoods. The governor pledged to strengthen the city’s fire emergency response unit.

Other fire outbreaks were reported in September, including an inferno in Kawangware’s Muslim area on the 19th, and another one at Mukuru Kwa Njenga on the 16th.

These frequent fires have pushed the Nairobi Red Cross to ramp up fire-extinguishing training across the county, aiming to equip communities with better emergency response skills.

The rising outbreaks of fire incidents have sparked calls for stronger fire prevention measures and better-equipped response teams to minimize the impact on Nairobi’s densely populated areas.