Dozens were left homeless after a fire destroyed several houses in Nairobi's Mathare slum on Saturday.
Witnesses said the 2pm inferno spread on a wide scale since the first fire engine to arrive at the scene did not have enough water.
Pius Masai, deputy director National Disaster Management Unit, said the cause of the Mlango Kubwa fire
is yet to be established.
"Nairobi county has mobilised six fire engines but the fire is extending to more structures," he told The Star on telephone.
"I have asked the National Disaster Operation Centre to request for more fire engines from other stakeholders," Masai said.
No casualties have been reported.
Some two weeks ago, four people died in a fire outbreak in an informal settlement opposite Southlands estate in Langata.
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In the Langata incident, fire fighters took more than five hours to put out the flames.
The fire trucks that arrived at the scene first, did not have enough water.
Irregular water supply and the high number of dysfunctional fire hydrants have been cited as City Hall’s major challenges in responding to such emergencies.
Out of the 4,044 hydrants in Nairobi, only 103 hydrants are operational, bringing to the fore the county’s lack of preparedness to handle disasters.