Fire Torches Several Buildings in Mathare [VIDEO]

A fire broke out on Wednesday, August 31 and swept through several buildings in Mathare along Juja Road in Nairobi.

Videos seen by Viral Tea 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 regards to the incident, motorists were advised to use alternative means after the incident caused a traffic snarl-up along Juja Road.

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.#emergency @FireEmergency pic.twitter.com/8lUADQG8g6 — Kibera Community Emergency Response Team (@KiberaResponse) August 31, 2022

The county firefighters were yet to respond to the incident by the time of publication.

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.

Residents complained that there was not enough water to put out the fire. Eyewitness reports revealed that the inferno started at around 2 am.

"The fire started at around 2 am and there was a lot of commotion at the time. People were trying to salvage whatever property they could while others were going into countercheck that their children were out of the houses."

"The biggest challenge was the lack of water and so residents started using drainage water," Paul Ng'ang'a Maina, a local leader and political aspirant stated.

Houses in Mathare slums on fire in a past incident. /NAIROBI NEWS