Property estimated to be worth millions of shillings was destroyed in a fire that broke out in Kiambu Town just hours before midnight.

The blaze, which erupted behind Petan Plaza (which houses Pettans College) on Sunday night, left business owners and residents counting heavy losses.

Firefighters from Kiambu County struggled to contain the inferno, as residents criticised the fire department's slow response. Their frustration grew when fire engines arrived at the scene with insufficient water to handle the situation.

The Kenya Red Cross confirmed the incident and dispatched an additional team of emergency responders to help the multiple agencies at the scene.

'Emergency response teams are battling a fire that broke out near Pettans Technical College in Kiambu. The Kenya Red Cross Action Team, Kenya Police, and the County Fire Brigade are on the ground, working to contain it,'' Red Cross shared in a statement. 

Images and videos seen by Kenyans.co.ke captured massive plumes of smoke and raging flames billowing from adjacent buildings.

The fire quickly spread to nearby residential structures, forcing residents to flee for safety as the blaze intensified at an alarming rate.

Residents at the scene could be heard screaming as emergency teams rushed through the busy road to contain the situation.

The fire department from the county government, however, managed to contain the fire even as investigations to establish the cause of the fire were launched.

''This evening, a building in Kiambu Town caught fire. The Kiambu County Government's disaster management unit was deployed to the scene. More updates to follow.'' Kiambu County Governor Kimani Wamatangi stated following the incident. 

The witnesses at the scene raised questions about why it took so long for the responders to arrive despite the Kiambu County Fire Station for the area being located less than 1 km away from the scene.

By the time the firefighters arrived, the property had already been reduced to ashes, leaving little to salvage.