KAA Moves With Speed To Contain Fire Outbreak At JKIA

The Kenya Airports Authority (KAA) moved to contain a fire incident which occurred at the parking lot of the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) in Nairobi on Tuesday, November 19.

KAA in a statement revealed that the fire broke out in the afternoon hours stemming from a vehicle which was parked on Level I of the JKIA parking garage.

Fire and rescue teams were quick to respond to the incident and extinguished the fire before it escalated to other areas.

Kenya Airports Authority (KAA) fire and rescue teams at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) on April 9, 2020. /KAA

“The authority’s fire and rescue teams responded promptly and successfully extinguished the fire, preventing further damage or escalation. No other vehicles were damaged,” stated KAA in part.

“We want to assure all passengers, airport users, and stakeholders that their safety and security remain our top priority. Investigations are currently underway to determine the cause of the fire.”

The authority assured passengers that operations at JKIA remained normal with no disruptions. Being the busiest airport in Kenya, JKIA has several parking areas including the official airport parking at the parking garage building, located opposite terminal 1E.

Other parking areas are strategically located close to entry and exits of terminals – a dynamic which, despite the convenience, poses a threat in an event such as a fire like the one witnessed on Tuesday.

The airport is no stranger to fire outbreaks, however, had KAA teams not responded in time, a repeat of the major incident which occurred inside what used to be JKIA’s main building and international arrivals on August 7, 2013 would have dominated news headlines for weeks!

The blaze had destroyed two of the three units contained in the building. No one was killed, but two people were hospitalized with non-life-threatening injuries.

Incoming flights were diverted to Uganda, Tanzania, and other airports in Kenya. The fire began at the immigration section of Unit I (used for international departures) and rapidly spread to adjoining Unit II, which was used for international arrivals.

Former Infrastructure and Transport Cabinet Secretary Michael Kamau in October of that year had attributed the cause of the inferno to an electrical fault.

On March 25, 2024, KAA announced the temporary closure of a section of JKIA following a small fire incident.

In a statement, KAA revealed that the incident had affected its Terminal 1E, a situation that was quickly contained to avert what could have been a major disaster.