Traders in Kiambu Town are facing significant losses following a fire that engulfed eight vehicles at a garage and a furniture store on Thursday morning, February 29.
According to the owners of the affected establishments, they were alerted by a security guard as the fire broke out in the early hours of the morning. Despite their swift efforts to salvage some property, the fire quickly escalated, resulting in extensive damage.
Emergency services from the county were subsequently called to the scene to extinguish the flames and prevent further devastation.
"It has resulted in massive losses, cars belonging to our clients have been burned as well as some chairs at a furniture shop," one of the traders noted.
The fire not only consumed vehicles but also destroyed equipment housed in both the garage and furniture store. Additionally, some structures, including storage areas at the garage, sustained damage from the flames.
Initial reports suggest that the fire may have been triggered by electrical interference in the vicinity.
Some of the owners of the vehicles worth millions were in shock to find their cars in ashes. One of the owners of a matatu that burned down remarked that he had taken it in for a paint job.
"The car parts including seats had been removed from the matatu and placed in the store but all of them have been burnt," he stated.
Following the fire, the traders called upon the county government to help them and the owners of the vehicle financially to recover from the loss.
This is another fire reported in Kiambu with some resulting in fatalities. On January 29, two children died after their house caught fire in Lari.
According to reports, the three-year-old and one-year-old had been locked in their two-bedroomed house by their mother who went to church. She was later called and informed her house was on fire.
Yet another fire was reported in December 2023, where four more died in Kabete. The victims were a mother and four children.
The fire began when the family members were sleeping and got caught in the flames while trying to escape.
