Bale/bagassi: A violent fire that broke out on Sunday, February 22, 2026, around 1 p.m. in the village of Doussi, Bagassi commune, consumed a large quantity of cotton that had been sold and stored at a marketing site belonging to a cotton producers' group (GPC). The fire caused financial losses of tens of millions of francs.
According to Burkina Information Agency, the affected Groupement des Producteurs de Commerce (GPC), comprising 80 producers, was destroyed by the fire, which destroyed their entire harvest, estimated at 147 tons, sold at a fixed price of 325 CFA francs per kilogram. The harvest, which caught fire, was stored at their usual sales site and awaiting collection at the Sofitex factories. The flames engulfed a large portion of the exposed pile.
Eyewitness accounts reveal that the fire started while a young girl was playing with a flame nearby, before quickly spreading to piles of cotton stored outdoors. Due to the highly flammable nature of cotton, the flames spread with great intensity.
The fire was only brought under control around 6 p.m., after several hours of firefighting thanks to the support of the Roxgold mine's fire brigade. The president of the cotton producers' group (GPC), Kohio Boti, indicated that they received the alert as they were leaving Sunday church. 'Upon our arrival, the situation was alarming. It was critical, and we didn't know where to begin. After attempting to contain the fire with whatever resources we had available, we requested support from the mining company Roxgold,' he explained.
Having been informed of the situation, Roxgold promptly deployed its response team to the site. Thanks to the speed of this mobilization, combined with the efforts of the local population, the fire was brought under control, thus limiting the extent of the damage. Roxgold's Director of Sustainable Development and Community Relations, Sawadogo Philbert, emphasized that this intervention is fully aligned with the company's corporate social responsibility policy. "We didn't hesitate for a second to intervene. Standing alongside communities in difficult situations is a responsibility we fully embrace," he stated.
Following the intervention, the Secretary General of the GPC, Gnoumou Lonkou, clarified that the police would carry out the standard procedures. The insurance company would then be contacted to assess the losses and determine how to support the affected producers. For these farmers, for whom cotton represents the main source of annual income, this fire is a major blow with serious socio-economic consequences.
This incident adds to a series of similar disasters recorded in recent years in certain cotton-producing areas. The recurrence of these fires raises renewed questions about the storage conditions and duration of cotton storage in rural areas. Many local stakeholders believe it is becoming essential for those in charge of the cotton sector to strengthen prevention measures, improve the security of storage sites, and, above all, revitalize the collection system to prevent cotton from remaining piled up and exposed to risks for extended periods.