NAIROBI — A massive fire tore through Katani Villas, a gated residential estate in Syokimau, on Thursday evening, sending plumes of smoke into the sky and residents fleeing their homes.
Firefighters rushed to the scene along Katani Road shortly after the alarm was raised. With water hoses and ladders, they fought to contain the blaze as anxious families gathered outside the estate gates. Some residents joined in, passing buckets of water in a desperate effort to stop the flames spreading.
As darkness fell, the full scale of the damage was still unclear. Authorities had yet to confirm whether anyone was injured or if homes had been destroyed. Emergency crews at the scene urged patience, saying investigations into the cause were under way.
“We are doing everything possible to control the fire,” said one firefighter, speaking briefly as his team battled the blaze. “At this point, it is too early to give details.”
By late evening, the Nairobi fire department had not issued a formal statement. Police at the site cordoned off nearby roads, diverting traffic and keeping crowds back.
For residents of Syokimau, the sight of a gated estate ablaze underscored how vulnerable Nairobi’s fast-growing suburbs remain to sudden disaster. As one neighbour put it while watching the fire spread, “You never think it can happen here — until it does.”
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