Liberia's GSM giant, Lonestar Cell MTN, had its head office survive an early Sunday morning fire scare, when fire gutted its outdoor commercial center within the compound that hosts the main head office.
Monrovia, November 17, 2025: At least, the Emergency Personnel Unit (EPU), the National Identification Registry Center, the SIM Card Registration Desks, and the Special Needs Division (SND) were burned to ashes.
It took the immediate intervention of security personnel assigned to the company and the Sethi Fabrik fire responders to put the fire under control and prevent it from spreading to the main head office.
The incident has not disrupted the network's services but has cost the company an estimated USD50,000 in damages, figures officials have confirmed. Though the actual cause of the fire has yet to be established, officials are blaming an electrical fault.
Follow us on WhatsApp | LinkedIn for the latest headlines
At the time of the blaze, there were concerns about disruptions to Network, Mobile Money Save, and other essential services provided by the mobile network giant.
As photographed by the New Dawn, among the damage were two operational trucks, worth around USD $20,000 each, a motorbike, and several mobile phones, along with other equipment and documents.
The flames of the fire were said to have been initially contained by security personnel from Prosecon Security Service from reaching the central MTN facility, which housed the company's mobile network, connectivity services, and other equipment, before the arrival of the Sethi Fabrik fire responder, who rescued the telecommunications company from a potential disaster.
Deputy Chief Executive Officer of Lone StarCell MTN, Ali Falkai, expressed his regret about the incident and indicated that there was no severe damage, but that connectivity would have been interrupted.
"Yes, we are fortunate about the incident, but there is actually no damage because the fire didn't catch our central facility.
Falkai assured the customer that service would continue despite the unfortunate incident, as Lone StarCell would investigate the situation promptly.
"We are fully operational and functional, without any disruption; our networks are intact, and everything is under control," Falkai added.
Meanwhile, the Liberia National Fire Service has launched an investigation to determine the cause of the fire and assess the full extent of the losses. Witnesses reported seeing thick smoke rising from the building, heightening concerns about staff safety. -Edited by Othello B. Garblah.
Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters
Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox
