Community fire response in Nairobi’s informal settlements

While the risk of fires in informal settlements has received attention in the literature, as has the longer-term community response to the resulting destruction, there is limited knowledge of how communities in informal settlements respond during fire disasters. This paper examines the role of community actors in fire response, using a case study of a group of informal settlements collectively called Mukuru Fuata Nyayo in Nairobi, Kenya. In earlier years, residents simply stayed put and watched properties get destroyed, and then waited for landlords to rebuild the houses. There is an emerging change in community fire response in these settlements, from a hands-off to a more hands-on approach in fire response. The paper examines the factors contributing to the change and draws conclusions about the strategies needed to build resilience in community fire response in informal settlements.