Police in Kyankwanzi District have launched investigations into the cause of a fire that destroyed several kiosks and businesses in Bukwiri Ward, Butemba Town Council, leaving traders counting heavy financial losses.
The fire broke out at around 2:00am on Tuesday, June 30, 2026, in Church Zone, Bukwiri Ward, where it engulfed kiosks operating as retail shops and other commercial outlets.
Preliminary findings indicate that the fire may have started from a charcoal stove that was allegedly left burning inside one of the locked kiosks before spreading to neighbouring structures.
According to the Wamala Region Police Spokesperson, SSP Lameck Kigozi, police officers and residents responded quickly and used available resources to contain the blaze and prevent it from spreading further.
“The suspected cause of the fire is a charcoal stove that is believed to have been left burning inside one of the kiosks. Police and members of the community responded promptly and managed to contain the fire before it spread further,” Kigozi said.
Although several kiosks were reduced to ashes and property worth millions of shillings is feared to have been destroyed, police confirmed that no deaths or injuries were reported.
Authorities are currently assessing the extent of the damage to establish the value of property lost and determine the impact on affected traders.
“Fortunately, no lives were lost. Assessment of the damage is ongoing to establish the total value of property destroyed,” Kigozi added.
Police have urged members of the public to exercise extra caution when handling fire, especially during the dry season when flames can spread quickly and cause extensive damage.
“We appeal to the public to handle fire responsibly. Leaving charcoal stoves or other sources of fire unattended can easily lead to devastating incidents such as this,” Kigozi warned.
Investigations into the exact cause of the fire are ongoing.
