Key Fire Disaster Prevention Factors in Informal Settlements in Nairobi

Abstract

Rapid and haphazard urban development has often placed homes dangerously close together. When fires start, they often spread easily and quickly. Given the density of many of these settlements, evacuations are chaotic and dangerous. Pathways between homes are narrow and often blocked, and first responders are often unable to access homes in time (Ngau, 2018). It is estimated that over 65% of Nairobi’s population reside in the over 180 informal settlements which are characterized by poverty, substandard housing, extreme crowding, and lack of basic services such as sanitation, water, lighting (Twigg et al., 2000). Nairobi’s informal settlements experience frequent fire outbreaks leading to loss of life, serious injury, and loss of assets and livelihoods (DREF, 2011). The combination of poverty, marginality, overcrowding and limited service provision exposes residents of informal settlements to a wide range of hazards particularly fires and disease outbreak. Available literature that primarily comes from accounts of nongovernmental organizations and volunteer emergency/humanitarian relief agencies as well as case studies of research conducted in universities covers three broad areas of interest: fire incidences with a focus on occurrences, risk and vulnerability of the communities in the informal settlements; fire management with a focus on policy, infrastructure and equipment in place to combat fire outbreaks; and fire response which mainly examine the nature of the response by the communities and others towards fire outbreaks (Ngau, 2018).