Fire Erupts In Mathare, Torches Several Homes [VIDEO]

Kenya Red Cross reported that the fire broke out in the Moradi area in the city's informal settlements.

Marvin Chege Marvin Chege
Sep 25, 2023 - 13:14 Updated: Sep 25, 2023 - 13:19
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Fire Erupts In Mathare, Torches Several Homes [VIDEO]
Screengrabs of fire that erupted in Mathare slums on Monday, September 25, 2023. /KENYA RED CROSS

Residents of Mathare in Nairobi County on Monday, September 25 raced against time to put out a fire that broke out at the slums.

Kenya Red Cross reported that the fire broke out in the Moradi area in the city's informal settlements.

"A fire outbreak has been reported in the Moradi area in Mathare, Nairobi County.

"The county fire brigade en route and RCAT are at the scene. More updates to follow," Kenya Red Cross stated on X (formerly Twitter).

A video shared by the Kenya Red Cross showed the fire brigade at the scene trying to contain the situation.

Due to the inaccessibility of the road, residents promptly provided assistance by pushing the water pipes on top of house rooftops to access the scene caught by fire.

The video also showed several mabati structures burnt, with a section of residents seen milling near the scene of the tragedy as they watched rescue operations.

Kenya Red Cross at the time of publishing this article was yet to reveal if there were any casualties arising from the fire. Its cause was yet to be established.

Mathare is no stranger to fire outbreaks. On August 31, 2022, a fire broke out and swept through several buildings in Mathare along Juja Road in Nairobi.

Videos seen by Viral Tea at the time showed the huge inferno blazing through the structures in the area known for its congested informal settlements.

"Fire outbreak reported in Mathare along Juja Road. Informal settlements are at high risk of fire and therefore Fire Stations need to be established in those areas and local community capacity should be strengthened to prevent and respond," Kibera Community Emergency Response Team captioned the video shared on social media.

As residents called for help with regard to the incident, motorists were advised to use alternative means after the incident caused a traffic snarl-up along Juja Road.

Most of the affected houses were made from iron sheets. Iron experiences oxidation, a chemical reaction where an atom loses electrons.

In our minds, iron can't burn, but it certainly oxidizes, just like most metals. The most common form of iron oxidation is rust when iron interacts with oxygen.

One of the most common challenges of the Mathare area is said to be accessibility, with undefined passageways proving to be a challenge to firefighters.

The fire incident came barely a year after more than 300 homes in the informal settlements of Mlango Kubwa in Mathare, Nairobi County, were burnt in the morning hours of October 8, 2021.

Two people died following the incident and authorities feared that more unaccounted-for victims perished in the inferno that reportedly started at 2 a.m.

Fire breaks out in Mathare on August 31, 2022. /MA3ROUTE

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