ANOTHER FIRE OUTBREAK AT WESTERN KENYA SUGAR.

BY OLITA REUBEN.

A second fire  in nearly a month  erupted at West Kenya Sugar Factory on Wednesday night and which took Busia County Government  fire engine  about three hours to contain.

The  factory located at Olepito  along the Busia-Nambale road near Tangakona  experienced first inferno on October 26  but it was contained before it could spread to other buildings.

The Factory Human Resource Manager  Dickens Okoth said  the Bagasse  generated heat  that sparked  off  fire which  could have caused massive damage had the fire engine  not come in a record time.

Bagasse is the fibrous matter that remains after sugarcane stalks are crushed to extract their juice. It is dry pulpy residue left after the extraction of juice from sugar cane.

 It is utilized as a biofuel and in the manufacture of pulp and building materials.

Busia County Transport Manager Abraham Otolong  who  arrived  at the scene moments later said  the fire was brought under control at 2am on Thursday.

" We had to refill the engine which water from the Factory's reservoir. I thank  the factory management for according  us the necessary support," Otolong said.

Otolong said  he got telephone call from the County Executive Committee Member for  Culture and Sports Martin Kafwa at around  9.40pm.  

" Immediately I marshaled the fire engine team. By 10.10pm we were at the fire scene. I salute them for the job well done," he said.