BWAISE – Timber merchants in Bwaise, Kawempe Division in Kampala are counting their losses after fire gutted their market on Thursday morning.
Over 300 traders lost their businesses in the fire that burnt a timber and furniture mart in Bwaise, causing damages worth billions of shillings.
Traders say an estimated 2 billion shillings worth of timber was burnt. According to eye witnesses the police fire brigade lost time in putting out the fire because it was difficult to access the place.
According to residents over 300 workshops filled with timber, furniture and carpentry machinery were reduced to ashes.
Other merchandise including machines such as bandsaws, combination machines, timber sizers, drill press, drum sander, bench grinder and jointer among others were destroyed in the fire.
It was the market’s 22nd fire in a space of 16 years.
At Ggaba landing site traders are also counting losses after fire destroyed property worth millions of shillings.
Police say the fire broke out at about 8pm on Wednesday night.
Eye witnesses said, three fire brigade trucks arrived at the scene in time but did not have water to put out the fire.
On a twitter post on Thursday morning, Police confirmed the report, saying “We confirm there was an outbreak at Ggaba landing site at around 2000hrs last night, our Fire brigade unit put out the fire before it spread further. Property has been damaged but no life has been lost. Investigations are ongoing.”
