Night fire destroys KFS office block

NAIROBI, KENYA: An office block at the Kenya Forest Service headquarters in Karura has been destroyed by a Monday fire.

The incident reported at around 11.50 PM destroyed the office block that houses the Enforcement and Compliance Division, Green Zones Development Support Project Phase II offices, and Kenya Forestry Research Institute “National Gums and Resins Association” (NGARA) Project offices.

The fire was detected by forest rangers on night sentry duties who raised the alarm. The Nairobi City County Fire Station was immediately notified and responded to the distress call and arrived at the scene at 12.30 AM.

Other fire suppressing teams included KFS personnel, Nairobi Metropolitan Services (NMS), General Service Unit (GSU), Kenya Police Service (KPS) Muthaiga Police Station, Nairobi City Water and Sewerage Company, Kenya Power and Lighting Company (KPLC), and officers from the Directorate of Criminal Investigations Headquarters (DCI).
The fire was contained within the building and eventually suppressed at around 3.00 AM.

The Chairman, KFS Board Peter Kinyua, and the Chief Conservator of Forests (CCF), Julius Kamau supervised the fire suppression operation.

The Cabinet Secretary, Ministry of Environment and Forestry Keriako Tobiko visited the scene and held a debriefing meeting with the Chairman KFS Board and CCF.

“No fatalities were reported and all other office blocks including the main administration block, staff quarters, and installations are safe and have been secured. The fire scene has been secured by officers from DCI to allow for investigations regarding the fire incident,” according to a statement from the Service.