A petrol station fire along Kiambu Road destroyed at least five vehicles and a nearby food outlet after a blaze broke out during fuel offloading on Wednesday night, police have said.

The incident caused panic among residents as flames spread rapidly through the premises before firefighters brought the situation under control.

According to police, the fire is believed to have started when fuel was being offloaded from a tanker, after a spill that later ignited.

Eyewitnesses told police that a cigarette may have triggered the blaze.

Kiambu Governor Kimani Wamatangi directed all available county emergency response vehicles to the scene, with at least three fire engines deployed to help contain the fire.

The matter is under investigation, and no injuries were reported.

In a separate incident in Nairobi, a fire at Lang’ata Women’s Prison on the night of April 1, 2025, destroyed at least 20 semi-permanent houses occupied by prison staff.

Nairobi City County Government firefighting units and the Kenya Defence Forces responded after being alerted, dispatching two fire engines to the scene.

With the help of prison staff, the fire was contained by around 9:00 pm, police said.

Nairobi police boss Issa Mohamud confirmed that no fatalities or injuries were reported, although property of unknown value was destroyed. The cause of the fire remains unknown, and investigations are ongoing.

Elsewhere in Kakamega County, a fire at a primary school on the night of April 1, 2026, destroyed key facilities, including a classroom, a library and an examination room.

Police said firefighters from West Kenya Sugar Company responded and successfully contained the blaze.

No injuries were reported, and the cause of the fire is yet to be established.

In Kiambu County, another fire incident in the Ngegu area on the same night destroyed six rental houses.

Police said members of the public responded quickly and managed to extinguish the fire, but nothing was salvaged from the affected homes.

No injuries were reported, and investigations are underway into the cause of the blaze.