Business owners in Lodwar Town, Turkana County are assessing losses worth millions of shillings after a fierce overnight fire destroyed several commercial premises along Africana Street in the town’s central business district.

The fire, which broke out late on Friday night, razed multiple businesses before emergency responders brought the blaze under control. No injuries or fatalities were reported, but traders were left counting heavy losses after merchandise, equipment and business premises were reduced to ashes.

According to witnesses, the fire is believed to have started in a salon before spreading rapidly to neighboring shops. The exact cause of the blaze has not been established, and authorities have launched investigations to determine what sparked the inferno.

The incident disrupted business operations in one of Lodwar’s busiest commercial areas, with affected traders returning to the scene on Saturday morning to salvage what remained of their property and begin assessing the extent of the damage.

Many business owners described the losses as a major setback, saying years of investment were wiped out within hours. Some appealed for support as they begin rebuilding their livelihoods, while others called for measures to improve fire prevention and emergency response in the fast-growing town.

Authorities have not released an official estimate of the financial losses, and investigations into the cause of the fire remain ongoing.

The Lodwar incident is the latest in a series of market and commercial fires reported in different parts of the country in recent months, once again highlighting the vulnerability of business centres to fire outbreaks and the economic impact such disasters have on small and medium-sized enterprises.