By Amadu Wurie Timbo
A devastating fire outbreak in the early hours of Wednesday, August 12, 2026, left several families homeless after a residential building at No. 27 Yade Street in Makeni was completely destroyed.
The fire, which reportedly started at about 2:00 a.m., engulfed the building owned by Osman Koroma and his family, reducing the structure and its contents to ashes. The building reportedly comprised seven apartments with approximately 18 rooms, parlours, toilets, stores and other household facilities.
According to the landlord and several tenants, the flames spread so rapidly that residents had little or no opportunity to rescue their belongings. Some residents who attempted to save their property reportedly sustained injuries during the incident.
Although no deaths were reported, the affected families described the emotional and financial impact of the disaster as overwhelming.
Reports also indicate that amid the confusion, some individuals allegedly took advantage of the situation to steal personal belongings from the affected families.
One of the victims, Alimamy Lawrence Turay, a sports journalist working with Radio Mankeneh and a tenant in the building, described the incident as heartbreaking.
“The fire completely destroyed our residence at Yade Street. We were unable to save anything because the flames spread so rapidly. We thank Almighty Allah that no life was lost, but the pain and suffering are beyond words,” Turay said.
Turay further explained that his wife, who heads an Osusu savings group, lost not only her personal savings but also money belonging to members of the group that had been entrusted to her. He said valuables worth millions of leones were also destroyed in the inferno.
“We spent the night in a neighbour’s house after losing everything. My wife could not sleep because of the stress and trauma. Our daughter cried for much of the night as she struggled to cope with the sudden change in our living conditions. We remain grateful to Allah for sparing our lives despite this tragedy,” he added.
The landlord and affected tenants are now facing difficult circumstances after losing their homes, personal belongings and, in some cases, their means of livelihood.
They are appealing to the Government of Sierra Leone, humanitarian organisations, charitable institutions and members of the public for urgent assistance.
The affected families say they are in immediate need of temporary shelter, food, clothing, bedding, household items, financial assistance and other essential relief materials as they begin the difficult process of rebuilding their lives.
They stressed that any assistance, regardless of its size, would be deeply appreciated during this challenging period.
As the families recover from the devastating incident, they remain hopeful that support from the government, humanitarian organisations and the public will help them rebuild their lives and restore a sense of stability after losing virtually everything in the blaze.