Jinja fire linked to illegal power connections

Jinja, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | An early Monday fire destroyed a carpentry workshop along Spire Road in the Jinja City Southern Division. The blaze, which engulfed five showrooms and ten large timber stalls, resulted in significant losses for 15 traders.

The damage included furniture, raw timber, glassware, and machinery, amounting to millions of shillings in losses. According to Kiira Regional Police Spokesperson James Mubi, the fire was triggered by illegal power connections in the area. Preliminary findings indicate that an electric short circuit in one of the timber processing areas caused the fire.

Despite most operators in the area having metered electricity, one timber processing unit was reportedly tapping unregulated power directly from nearby poles, which might have led to the short circuit and subsequent fire. A police firefighter, who spoke on condition of anonymity, noted that the highly flammable nature of timber made it difficult for rescue efforts.

The flames were further intensified by other flammable substances, such as varnish, black oil, and petrol, used in the timber operations. Mubi mentioned that the fire brigade teams, including those from both police and private companies, arrived on the scene promptly but were unable to rescue property due to restricted access routes.

The service lanes around the fire scene had been encroached upon long ago, limiting the firefighters’ access to the area. As a result of the fire, over 89 youths employed as casual laborers were left jobless. Abdul Waiswa, a manager of one of the affected showrooms, reported being informed about the fire at around 5:00 a.m.

Despite the efforts of the fire brigade, they could only contain the fire from spreading to neighboring business houses and residential units. Mariam Nalumansi, one of the victims, had just completed furnishing 500 desks for a private school in Bugiri district when the fire struck.

She reported losing property worth approximately 150 million shillings and is now struggling with bank loans.  Mubi confirmed that the fire department’s teams are assessing the evidence collected from the scene, and a detailed report will be provided to the public once the investigation concludes.

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