A fire at Blue Bar, located opposite National Oil in Kabarnet town, Baringo County, has left one person injured and destroyed property of unknown value.
According to a statement by the Kenya Red Cross on Monday, December 22, the organization, alongside County Fire Services and the local community, responded to the fire incident at the establishment.
"The Kenya Red Cross, alongside County Fire Services and the local community, is responding to a fire incident at Blue Bar, opposite National Oil in Kabarnet town, Baringo County. Cause unknown. Updates to follow," the Red Cross stated in an initial alert.
In a subsequent update, the humanitarian organization confirmed that the fire had been contained with support from the Elgeyo Marakwet County Fire Brigade and Kenya Red Cross Action Teams.
"The fire has been contained with support from the Elgeyo Marakwet County Fire Brigade and Kenya Red Cross Action Teams. One injured person was taken to Baringo County Referral Hospital. Assessment of the extent of damage is ongoing," the update read.
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The cause of the fire remains unknown as the investigation continues.
Images from the scene show significant damage to structures, with emergency responders working to extinguish the remaining flames while residents gathered around the affected area.
The Kabarnet incident contributes to a series of recent fire outbreaks that have affected areas across Kenya, leaving residents grappling with significant losses.
Just last week, residents in the Bottom Line area of Kangemi, Nairobi, suffered heavy losses after a morning fire destroyed several homes and household items.
Eyewitnesses reported that the blaze, which started around 9:30 a.m., was initially manageable but grew due to a delayed response. The fire primarily affected iron-sheet structures, leaving affected families without shelter and belongings.
Days earlier, the densely populated Mlango Kubwa area in Mathare experienced a similar incident when a rapidly spreading fire destroyed multiple houses, causing panic among residents.
Emergency teams, including the Nairobi Fire Brigade, were deployed to contain the blaze that started around 9:00 a.m. While preliminary accounts suggested a possible gas-related cause, authorities did not immediately confirm this, though fortunately, no casualties were reported.
