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Fire breaks out at Mount Meru Millers refinery in Lira City
The gasket reportedly caught fire due to high temperatures, spreading to the insulation wool covering the steam pipes and subsequently to the downstream channels connecting to the refinery boiler.
Fire breaks out at Mount Meru Millers refinery in Lira City
By: Hudson Apunyo, Journalist @New Vision
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LIRA CITY — A fire broke out at Mount Meru Millers (U) Ltd in Lira City’s industrial area, damaging refinery pipes, tubes and the roof of the enclosure housing the plant.
The fire, which started at about 3pm on Wednesday, October 21, 2026, was extinguished at around 4:40pm following a joint operation involving the Uganda Police Force, the Uganda People’s Defence Forces (UPDF) and firefighting teams from MMP Group of Nile Agro and Mount Meru Millers.
Patrick Jimmy Okema, the North Kyoga Region public relations officer and acting PRO for Aswa West and Aswa East regions, says that preliminary findings indicate that the fire may have started after a gasket burst while one of the refinery plant machines was operating.
The gasket reportedly caught fire due to high temperatures, spreading to the insulation wool covering the steam pipes and subsequently to the downstream channels connecting to the refinery boiler.
The gasket reportedly caught fire due to high temperatures, spreading to the insulation wool covering the steam pipes and subsequently to the downstream channels connecting to the refinery boiler.
The insulation material reportedly contributed to the intensity of the fire.
However, Okema said the exact cause of the outbreak had not yet been established and remained under investigation.
Police, working alongside UPDF personnel, responded to the scene and provided security, while Scene of Crime Officers documented the incident.
Further findings showed that the refinery tubes and pipes were burnt, while the roof of the enclosure housing the plant sustained fire damage. The insulation wool wrapped around the pipes was also heavily affected.
However, Okema said the exact cause of the outbreak had not yet been established and remained under investigation.
Police, working alongside UPDF personnel, responded to the scene and provided security, while Scene of Crime Officers documented the incident.
Further findings showed that the refinery tubes and pipes were burnt, while the roof of the enclosure housing the plant sustained fire damage. The insulation wool wrapped around the pipes was also heavily affected.