FACT-CHECK: This image is not of firefighters extinguishing fire in Custom

The photo was taken in Konyo Konyo market during a fire incident in December 2024
The ClarityDeskDecember 19, 2025
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The image attached to the post is old

claim (archived) posted on Facebook, by Aweil Aweil News Agency, on 5 December 2025, with a photo allegedly showing firefighters on duty in a Custom Market fire incident, is false.

The Facebook post where the fire brigade personnel appeared in the picture garnered 582 reactions, 179 comments and 10 shares, all of which made it trend.

Press enter or click to view image in full size

Screenshot of the post posted with an old photo
Screenshot of the post posted with an old photo

Debunking the Claim:

According to a Google Lens search, results returned posts with the same photo as shared by Hot in JubaJuba Eyes Radio, TikTok, and Junub Scoop on the same date of 20 December 2024.

The photo was taken in Konyo Konyo Market when it caught fire on 19 December 2024. The search results show that this photo wasn’t taken in the Custom market fire outbreak incident as claimed.

Screenshot of the photo posted by Hot in Juba on 20 December 2025
Screenshot of the photo posted by Hot in Juba on 20 December 2025

The Custom Market fire on 1 December 2025

On the evening (archived) of 1 December 2025, a large fire swept through a section of Juba’s busy Custom Market on Monday evening, destroying multiple shops and prompting a major emergency response.

The fire, which mainly destroyed the Nyakuron side of the market near the SSBC compound, left hundreds of traders counting losses.

Our Verdict:

The ClarityDesk finds the claim of an image making rounds showing the fire brigade extinguishing fire at Custom Market on 1 December 2025 during a fire outbreak to be false. The fire outbreak in Custom Market was real, but the photo posted is an old one, first shared on 20 December 2024, where the fire brigade was extinguishing a fire in Konyo Konyo Market.

Have you spotted an error in this article and would like to request a correction, or have you come across a claim that we should investigate? Please send us an email via editor@claritydesk.org or click here to WhatsApp us via +211 928 606 958.

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