third day, Mr Papa Martin recalls how he rushed to the office window after the first explosion.He was curious when he heard the explosion last Wednesday."I heard the muted explosion from the third floor of Woodland House. Then I saw Nakumatt employees struggle with the hose reel and direct it at the raging flames. I later learnt their generator was on fire," he says.The generator was placed just below the staircase leading to the upper section. There were gas cylinders on the staircase.He says shortly after the fire started, the cylinders exploded one by one and the Nakumatt traedy had begun.Papa is a security consultant with Hawk Eye Technologies along Moi Avenue and has an office on Kimathi Street, neighbouring Nakumatt.The expert now reconstructs the line-up of errors, which he thinks made the fire to rage on for three days. "They were using the wrong equipment... They started using water on the fire and failed because it was caused by electrical fault. It began where the generator was," he said.Papa says it was only after the Kenya Air Force fighters arrived that the flames were subdued using powder.By this time, other firefighters, including those from the Nairobi City Council, had poured tanks of water on the fire with no success.

Building consumed "By this time, the back segment of the building had been consumed by the fire, trapping shoppers and workers upstairs," he says.He also says it took the fire fighters half an hour to break into the building, only to be met by a brick wall.When they peeped inside, they were confronted by gas cylinders. They hastily retreated and poured cold water on the cylinders to prevent further explosions.Papa says the water directed to the building could not douse the fire. Indeed, it fuelled it.He says the fire was a combination of Class B and C, which is the most difficult to extinguish because it is electrical and was fuelled by inflammable materials such as gas, mattresses, plastics and paint.Class A fire, caused by wood paper, is easily fought with water. "The best method to fight this fire is by using foam and carbon dioxide, which cover the base of the fire, snuffing out the supply of oxygen and diminishing combustion," Papa says.He says once the fire broke out, security managers should have evacuated people through the exits.All windows and doors were supposed to have been closed in the room where the fire started.Had the right procedures been followed and the right equipment used, Papa says the fire could have been contained in a few hours.