By KT Reporter
Fire has gutted part of the bagasse shade at Kakira Sugar Works limited-KSWL.
Bagasse is a dry, pulpy, fibrous material that remains after crushing cane to extract juice. It is used as a biofuel for the production of heat, energy, and electricity, and in the manufacture of pulp and building materials.
According to the Kiira region Fire and Rescue Services, the fire in the bagasse shade was first sighted at 1:00 pm. It is alleged that excessive heat generated in the shade sparked off the fire.
The workers in the bagasse shade attempted to contain the fire, but were later joined by police firefighters led by Manisul Isabirye, the commander of fire and rescue services department in Kiira region.
Kiira Region Police Spokesperson, James Mubi, said that, bagasse is highly flammable and takes long to be completely extinguished, which explains the 16 hours the fire team spent at the scene.
Mubi also notes that, the fire fighters teamed up with KSWL’s safety department, which largely helped them to minimise damages.
Mubi also rules out any form of risk from the incident, saying that no casualties were reported. “No life was lost, the damages and risks have been greatly minimised in conjunction with KSWL’s fire brigade and safety teams,” reads his statement in part.
Mubi challenged sugar mill operators to install modern fire surveillance and detection systems, to curb fire incidents “Going forward, the management should always monitor for heat and moisture, install fire suppression systems, put in place early fire detection measures, among others so as to minimize damages and risks of self ignited fires within the bagasse shades,” reads his statement in part.
The General Manager of Kakira Sugar Works Limited, Patel Van Greunen, says that the fire was contained without interrupting their daily operations. “We did experience a small fire in our bagasse heap, which was extinguished without any damage to equipment and without interrupting either sugar production or power generation. No one was injured,” reads his email in part.
Utilising bagasse for power generation is considered environmentally friendly, as it converts waste into usable energy-URN. Give us feedback on this story through our email: kamwokyatimes@gmail.com
