| Summary: | Background: Around the world, at least 89.3 million people have been forced to leave
their homes, according to the United Nations Refugee Agency. Of these, almost 27 million live
in refugee camps. The Bangladesh region of Cox's Bazar, which is the world's biggest and most
congested refugee camp, has about 980,000 inhabitants. Understanding fire occurrences, which
are becoming increasingly common in refugee camps, is crucial. Since Rohingya refugees
arrived in Bangladesh due to the genocide in 2017, there have many fire incidents been recorded
to date either intentional or accidental. Fire safety is, however, far from a priority because fire
accidents in refugee camps, like those in informal settlements (IS), are typically not investigated.
Overcrowded and unsanitary settlements have always been subject to fires. Aim: This study aims
to figure out the root causes and effects of devastating fire accidents in Rohingya Refugee Camp,
Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh. Methods: A cross-sectional study is conducted among the Rohingya
community who have been affected by fire accidents by using a simple random sampling method
with 50 in-depth interviews to obtain qualitative data. Results: The majority of participants
responded that the massive fire incidents that occur frequently in camps are intentional (arson)
whereas some of the small fires are accidental due to carelessness and congestion, which overall
harm this community. Most of the respondents also reported that they are living in fear of such
terrible incidents which eventually traumatize them psychologically and at the same time, leave
them with only ashes. Conclusion: The increased number of fires suggests that fire safety in
Rohingya refugee settlements needs to be a top priority.
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