By By: Contributing Writer
Paynesville, — Business owners and petty traders are counting heavy losses after a fire gutted a commercial building opposite Zone 9 Depot One in Red Light on Wednesday, May 29, 2026.
While the Liberia National Fire Service reported no human casualties, at least 13 stores dealing in building materials, electronics, clothing, and generator parts were destroyed. Victims say the disaster left more than charred walls — it disrupted livelihoods in an already fragile economy.
Losses Beyond Flames
For some, goods were consumed by fire. For others, especially petty traders selling in the corridor, the chaos created opportunity for theft.
“When there’s news of fire, as you try to take your things, others are there to steal and that was what happened to us,” said Jerome B. Jones, landlord of an adjacent property. Though the fire did not reach his building, he reported losses to looters.
Petty trader Esther Harris said she lost nearly half her goods. “We were selling in front here when we heard one of the store boys shouting ‘FIRE.’ When we first ran there to help, the area was overshadowed by smoke. Criminals moved in and took almost all my goods,” Harris explained. “When we take one load and come back, they have taken another. It’s not all lost in the fire we went through.”
She said slippers and a carton of earpods were among items stolen from siblings who also sell at the location.
New Store Burned Before Opening
Leakor Walker, who partnered with Yougie Flomo to run a new store stocked with generator spare parts and power saws, said the shop burned one week before its official opening.
“We prepared this place with goods stocked to move it here on the third of May, only to come and meet this,” Walker said.
He described the impact as deeper than property loss. “I’m very under-depressed and oppressed because this is the only survival for me and my co-heads. It carried me back and unbalanced,” Walker said, pointing to the remains of his storeroom.[me]
Walker and Flomo said they have begun seeking independent investigations to establish the cause of the fire. However, they “strongly hold a belief that the fire emanated as a result of a welding in one of the Lebanese business owners’ mattress stores which escalated.”
“I continue to say that this fire was caused by the welding that was going on in their area where there was no control to the work,” Walker added.
Harris also confirmed welding was ongoing in one of the stores at the time of the incident.
Debt and Uncertainty
Another victim who sells bedsheets and clothing said she has since taken a loan to restart. “I’m just from taking a loan to continue my market because of what I went through that day,” she said. “The only thing I can say is thank God we still get life,” she added, expressing hope of recovering losses.
Aftermath and Safety Concerns
The LNFS brought the blaze under control after nearly two hours. The agency said it has launched an investigation to establish the cause, despite multiple eyewitness accounts linking it to welding activities.
Nearly a week later, the damaged one-story structure still stands, raising safety concerns for traders who remain.
“The building isn’t safe, but what to do?” said Mohammed, a store owner who salvaged a few goods and continues to operate from the compromised structure. He is now battling both economic loss and safety risks.
The Red Light fire adds to growing calls for stricter enforcement of safety protocols for welding and other high-risk work in commercial areas.
