Fire Guts Sabrina’s Pub

By Edris KisambiraA mid-morning fire broke out at Sabrina’s Pub, burning part of the popular Kampala night-spot and destroying property worth millions of shillings.Hope Mukasa, the proprietor of the pub, could not quantify the damage. Eye witnesses said the fire was caused by sparks from a welding rod that was being used by a repairman who was fixing something near the grass-thatched Anisha Bar.The fire started from the roof and was spreading fast. It burnt the whole roof of the bar, which was recently opened, but the Police Fire Brigade arrived in time to prevent its spread.Joseph Mugisa, the Chief Fire Officer, said the fire could have spread and burnt the whole of Almeida House which houses shops and offices, if it was not for the quick reaction of people from the neighbouring Central Purchasing Corporation who called the Police.“People near here did a good job, they acted so fast, and indeed our response was fantastic because we reached here in so short a time, to prevent the burning of the whole complex, which was most likely under the circumstances,” Mugisa said.He said they had dealt with three other incidents involving grass-thatched structures. “As a matter of principle, grass-thatched structures should be discouraged. I think licensing authorities should look into the issue,” Mugisa said.Ends