Fire razes homes at Long Street Military Camp

The incident, which occurred by 3pm on September 29, 2014, was quickly quelled by soldiers of the camp.

Fire broke out in the Military barracks at Small Soppo Long Street Buea, in the evening of 29th September and razed properties and homes of two military families. The exact cause of the inferno that started at about 3pm is still to be identified.

When Cameroon Tribune arrived at the scene by 3.15pm, huge cloud of smoke discharged from the incident still covered the sky of the town of Buea. The soldiers were fighting tooth and nail to put out the fire using soil and water.

No human casualty was suffered as the soldiers quickly intervened under the supervision of Lieutenant Colonel Ngapout Nsangou Louis Roger who is Commander of the Buea 21st Motorised Infantry Battalion to limit the damage.

The soldiers’ agility even under the rain saved a third immediate home where the fire’s tongue was quickly heading to.

Lieutenant Colonel Ngapout told Cameroon Tribune that the worse was avoided in the sense that the military-owned petrol station, harboured in the camp, about 10metres from the scene of fire, remained safe. He said the two families affected will be assisted.

“We are still gathering facts to establish the exact cause of the fire”, he replied to Cameroon Tribune, the first medium that visited the scene.

The Military boss added that “It had never happened before but we have always been guarding against this kind of things and I think from now we are going to fortify the structures and check these electrical lines.”

He regretted that it would have been easier for them if they had a fire fighting brigade in the city of Buea.

Lieutenant Colonel Ngapout hinted that there was a budding project in the Ministry of Defense to build a modern barracks on the site.

The Buea military habitation, scene of the flames, was constructed by the Germans during their colonial rule in Cameroon.

The army occupants of the camp have over the years employed their military might and diligence to maintain the zinc-walls-and-roof style outwardly looking like tents.

Elements staying at the campsite are mainly serving with the Buea 21st Motorised Infantry battalion and the Buea Military Sector.