LIRA CITY – A fire outbreak has damaged the refinery section of Mount Meru Millers (U) Ltd in Lira City, destroying pipes and a section of the roof before it was successfully extinguished by a multi-agency team.
The incident, which occurred on Wednesday, October 21, 2026, at approximately 3:00 p.m., prompted a rapid response from the Police Fire Brigade and Rescue Services in the North Kyoga Region.
According to a statement issued by SP JP Okema, the Public Relations Officer for the North Kyoga Region, preliminary findings indicate that the fire started when a gasket on one of the refinery plant’s machines burst while in operation. The statement noted that the gasket caught fire due to high temperatures, and the flames quickly spread to the insulation wool covering the steam pipes.
The fire spread to the downer channels (pipes) connecting to the refinery boiler. The insulation wool wrapped around the pipes reportedly contributed to the intensity of the blaze.
Police, alongside personnel from the Uganda People’s Defence Forces (UPDF), responded to the scene to provide security. Scene of Crime Officers (SOCO) managed and documented the area as firefighting and rescue teams from the Uganda Police Force, MMP Group from Nile Agro, and Mount Meru Millers worked together to combat the flames.
The fire was successfully extinguished at approximately 4:40 p.m.
Further findings established that the refinery tubes and pipes were burnt, while the roof of the enclosure housing the refinery plant sustained fire damage. The insulation wool wrapped around the pipes was also heavily affected.
SP Okema stated that the situation had been contained, but the exact cause of the outbreak had not yet been established and remained under investigation. At the time of compiling the statement, the case had not yet been formally registered.
The Police thanked their partners, the MMP Group from Nile Agro and the Mount Meru fire team, for their continued support in responding to fire outbreaks within and around Lira City.
