Globally over 180,000 people die from fire hazards every year, with the majority occurring in densely populated urban areas undergoing rapid urbanization. In Nairobi, low and middle-income neighborhoods are most affected. Frequent fires occur in places like Gikomba market since 2010. Causes of fires include poor infrastructure, inadequate planning, electric faults, arson, poverty, carelessness, and negligence. Remedies involve considering fire safety in building design at the household, community, and city level through policies addressing materials used, escape routes, separation of dwellings, fire breaks, and vehicle access.

1. URBAN FIRE
HAZARDS
ONYIEGO BRIAN

2. URBAN FIRE RISKS/HAZARDS
• Globally over 180,000 people die from
fire hazards every year (WHO).
• Majority of these cases occur in regions
with densification due to rapid
urbanisation
• For the Case of Nairobi, low and
middle-income neighbourhoods are
the most affected.

3. NAIROBI’S HISTORICAL FIRE INCIDENCES
• 1902 – Bazaar street market –
intentional fire to get rid of rodents.
• 1982 – Oil storage of the Kenya Pipeline
Company
• 2001 – Free market at Uhuru Park
• 2004 – 3rd Floor of City Hall
• 2006 - Libra House Nairobi

4. NAIROBI’S HISTORICAL FIRE INCIDENCES
• 2009 – Sinai slum fire associated witn
fuel leakage from pipeline.
• 2011 - Nairobi’s downtown Nakumatt
Supermarket inferno
• 2013 - Nairobi’s Jomo Kenyatta
International Airport
• Frequent yearly fires at Gikomba market
market since 2010 apart from 2013 and
2016

5. CAUSES OF THE FIRE INCIDENCES
• Poor infrastructure – reliance on
inadequate and fire brigade.
• Inadequate Planning – Fire prone
structures, Inaccessible streets, location
of fire stations.
• Electric faults and cooking appliances –
Illegal power connections especially in
slums and markets

6. CAUSES OF THE FIRE INCIDENCES
• Arson and class conflicts – political and
social conflicts.
• Poverty and Domestic Violence – within
the low income settlements.
• Carelessness and negligence– burning
of waste next to settlements,
unattended to fuel leakages.

7. REMEDIES
• Fire safety considerations for the built
environment have evolved over time,
through lessons learned from major fire
events and the development of fire safety
science
• Safety Considerations in an urban scale can
be broken down into:
• Household Safety
• Community Safety
• City Safety

8. HOUSEHOLD SAFETY
• Construction Materials – Use materials
which do not propagate rapid fire growth
• Provide multiple escape routes from each
dwelling
• Maximise separation distance to adjacent
dwellings

9. COMMUNITY SAFETY
• Establish and maintain fire breaks,
evacuation routes, and vehicle access
routes
• Maximise separation distance between
dwellings and minimise density of
dwellings
• Avoid settlement development near high
hazard areas, such as garbage burning
points and industrial premises

10. CITY SAFETY
• Implement policies relating to land tenure
and land use
• Implement policies that allow for
upgrading of informal settlements and the
use of robust building materials
• Commit to city planning which promotes
and supports the use of appropriate
building materials and fire safety
principles for dwelling and settlement
design

11. - END -
ONYIEGO NYAGACHO B.