A fire ravaged wooden homes on Ndiba Street, in an area known as “Under Mango” in Kumba I Municipality early Friday, June 27, displacing nearly 20 families, most of them internally displaced persons (IDPs) fleeing the ongoing Anglophone Crisis.
The fire, which broke out in the early hours of the morning, destroyed five wooden houses, reducing all belongings inside to ashes.
Witnesses reported hearing gas bottles explode, which likely fueled the flames, though the exact cause is still under investigation.
Fortunately, no deaths or injuries were reported, thanks in part to the rapid response of the Kumba Army Rescue Unit, who managed to contain the fire and prevent it from spreading to neighboring homes.
The fire leaves another scar in the lives of families who had already fled from a conflict that has devastated the North West and South West regions of Cameroon since 2017.
More than 6,000 people have died and hundreds of thousands displaced by the conflict. Most internally displaced persons are living under precarious conditions, often in crammed houses hosting several people.
Most victims of the Kumba fire outbreak are IDPs who had taken shelter in the informal settlement, struggling to rebuild their lives in one of the few stable areas in the English-speaking regions.
The Divisional Officer for Kumba I and the Mayor of Kumba I Municipality visited the site hours after the flames were extinguished.
Authorities have announced the creation of a special commission to identify victims and assess emergency support needs, including food, shelter, and psychosocial care.
The tragedy has further revealed the precarious conditions in which thousands of Cameroonian IDPs live, often without access to adequate housing or fire safety measures.
