Several people were left homeless after a fire burnt down 39 houses in Ngangarithi, Nyeri, on Monday afternoon.
Witnesses said the fire started some minutes to 3pm.
Lucy Muthoni, whose house was damaged, said the fire began in one of the houses and spread to three other blocks.
"We don’t know whether the fire was as a result of an electric fault or somebody caused it.
We just saw smoke coming from one of the houses. We tried to put the fire out but it spread very fast," she said.
Neighbour Nderitu Muriithi said he was at home when he saw a huge cloud of smoke.
"Initially, we thought it was somebody burning garbage, but after some time we heard an explosion and realised that all was well," he said
He said the explosion was from a gas cylinder.
Muriithi. who helped put out the fire, said at least four gas cylinders exploded and only a few items were saved.
Residents praised the county firefighters for responding quickly. However, they had to stop the rescue operation and replace burnt water pipes.
Muriithi said most of the tenants are students who were in class when the fire started.
Another victim Samuel Kilonzi said he was asleep when the fire broke out and was woken up by smoke. He saved a few items from his house.
Nyeri town MP Ngunjiri Wambugu who went to the scene said he will look for ways to assist the affected people.
He said they will be given supper and a place to spend the night.
Wambugu told journalists he will find out from Kenya Power if the fire was caused by an electric fault.
Nyeri police boss Paul Kuria said the houses made of timber were completely destroyed.
However, he said there were no injuries or deaths reported.
Some residents fainted when they arrived and found their
houses burnt.