A massive fire broke out in Tassia Estate, Embakasi, Nairobi, on Monday, reducing several informal housing structures to ashes and leaving dozens of families homeless.
According to images obtained by Kenyans.co.ke, the blaze is believed to have originated from one of the densely packed housing units before spreading rapidly to adjacent homes. Preliminary reports suggest the fire may have been triggered by a gas explosion, although authorities are yet to issue a conclusive statement.
The Kenya Red Cross confirmed the incident, stating that emergency response teams, including the Nairobi County fire department, were immediately deployed to the scene. By press time, no casualties had been reported, but multiple structures had been completely consumed by the inferno.
Witnesses revealed that efforts by residents to extinguish the flames proved futile. “We tried using water and sand, but the fire was too strong. Everyone just ran for safety,” said one resident. The situation was worsened by the nature of the housing units, which are largely made of wood and iron sheets—materials known to ignite and spread flames quickly.
The Tassia area has increasingly gained a grim reputation for fire outbreaks in 2025. Just last week, on August 18, a seven-month-old baby tragically lost her life after a night fire razed several houses. In March, another blaze in Kwa Kassim, Tassia, left at least six people with serious injuries and destroyed property worth an unknown amount.
What stands out is that a majority of these fires have been linked to gas explosions, raising questions about safety awareness and handling of cooking gas cylinders in informal settlements. Safety experts argue that proper training on gas use, coupled with stricter enforcement of housing and fire safety standards, could help avert such tragedies.
As investigations into the latest incident continue, victims now face the harsh reality of displacement, with many left without shelter. Humanitarian organizations have called for urgent assistance to those affected, while residents are once again urging authorities to enhance fire preparedness and ensure faster emergency response in the area.
