The Police Fire Brigade and rescue services in North Kyoga Region on Wednesday commenced an investigation into the circumstances surrounding a fire outbreak at Mount Meru Millers (U) Ltd.

The factory is located in the Lira City Industrial Area, Railways Quarter ‘A’ Cell, Railways Ward, Lira City East Division.

It is alleged that on October 21, 2026, at approximately 3pm, one of the refinery plant machines at Mount Meru Millers (U) Ltd caught fire.

SP Jimmy Patrick Okema, PRO of North Kyoga Region, said preliminary findings indicate that the fire started when one of the gaskets burst while in operation and caught fire due to high temperature.

Insulation wool covering the steam pipes also caught fire, escalating to the downer channels (pipes) connecting to the refinery boiler.

The PRO reported that the pipes were wrapped in insulation wool, which reportedly contributed to the fire’s intensity.

“However, the exact cause of the outbreak has not yet been established and remains under investigation,” he said.

Police, together with personnel from the Uganda People’s Defence Forces (UPDF), responded to the scene and provided security.

The Scene of Crime Officers (SOCO) managed and documented the scene.

Firefighting and rescue teams from the Uganda Police Force, MMP Group from Nile Agro, and Mount Meru Millers (U) Ltd responded and worked together to extinguish the fire.

The fire was successfully put out at approximately 4:40pm.

Further findings established that the refinery tubes and pipes were burnt, while the roof of the enclosure housing the refinery plant sustained fire damage. The insulation wool wrapped around the pipes was also heavily affected by the fire.

SP Okema revealed that the situation was contained, and investigations into the cause and circumstances of the incident are ongoing.

“At the time of compiling this statement, the case had not yet been formally registered,” PRO SP Okema added.