A catastrophic fire engulfed the historic Cluny Market in Cap-Haitien on the night of January 24, 2026, inflicting severe damage on the city’s primary commercial hub. The blaze, which ignited around 10:30 p.m., required an extensive multi-agency response involving municipal firefighters, rescue services, Civil Protection units, and law enforcement personnel. With crucial support from the Cap-Haitien International Airport Fire Department, the inferno was finally contained by approximately 2:00 a.m. on January 25th.
Preliminary assessments reveal extensive destruction across the market complex, with the poultry sales sector completely obliterated. The conflagration consumed approximately 30 warehouses with all their merchandise and reduced over 100 small commercial stalls to ashes, resulting in massive material losses for local vendors.
The Municipal Administration has pledged full support to affected merchants and announced plans to establish an urgent commission of inquiry in collaboration with relevant institutions to determine the fire’s exact origins. The investigation will involve coordination with multiple government entities including the Prime Minister’s Office, Ministry of the Interior and Territorial Communities, Ministry of Commerce and Industry, and Ministry of Social Affairs and Labor.
Prime Minister Alix Didier Fils-Aimé has dispatched the Minister of the Interior to conduct a comprehensive damage assessment, emphasizing the government’s commitment to implementing “concrete, rapid, and appropriate assistance” for victims. The Haitian government issued an official statement affirming that “no citizen will be left alone to face this ordeal” and promised a structured institutional response.
Emmanuel Vertilaire, Member of the Presidential Transitional Council, characterized the event as “a severe blow to the informal economy” affecting hundreds of small merchants who depend on the market for their livelihood. The National Directorate of Drinking Water and Sanitation (DINEPA) received recognition for their prompt intervention in making fire hydrants available to combat the blaze, which helped limit the disaster’s overall impact.
The government has announced plans to enhance national emergency response capabilities through more effective and coordinated approaches to similar crises in the future.