Addis Abeba is taking a hard look at its fire safety protocols as the city's Fire & Disaster Risk Management Commission introduces a directive to reduce fire incidents by over 70pc, a move that has businesses scrambling to comply with costly new standards.

The new regulations, which apply to new and existing buildings across various sectors, mandate strict compliance with specific fire safety measures. Industries affected include printing companies, petroleum-related businesses, hospitals, schools, warehouses, theatres, and telecommunications facilities.

City officials are pushing this initiative in response to the alarming frequency of fires that have tormented Addis Abeba, with 300 to 500 incidents reported annually, primarily affecting commercial establishments.

"Nearly all don't qualify for the safety certificate," said Yikfelew Woldemeskel, deputy commissioner of the Commission.

The directive comes on the heels of several devastating fires that have pressed an urgent need for stronger safety measures. In Mercato’s Shema Tera, a blaze destroyed 550 shops, causing substantial losses and uncovering critical safety lapses such as poor emergency access and insufficiently designed exits. A meters away, the Dinich Tera experienced a similar fate, revealing a lack of fire extinguishers and emergency preparedness.

From July to September this year, the capital reported 63 fire incidents, resulting in damages amounting to 80.8 million Br. A recent fire in the Dejach Wube neighborhood, near the Commission's headquarters, raised the risk of non-compliance. The blaze, caused by welding activities at Jiangze Construction, a Chinese-owned company, destroyed the company's premises. City officials claimed the company had refused to allow the Commission to conduct a safety protocol inspection and lacked essential fire safety equipment, even for small fires.

The Commission says its goal is to reduce the frequent outbreaks, which have become a persistent threat to businesses and residents alike. However, city officials credited timely interventions with preventing losses totalling 290 million Br.

The new directive primarily targets the hospitality industry. The Ministry of Tourism is revising hotel star ratings to include fire safety certification as a mandatory criterion. Hotels now face stringent requirements, including installing fire-resistant doors, emergency water containers with a capacity of 150 cubic metres in a hotel, fire alarms, hydrants, sprinklers, and concrete stairways. While these measures are necessary for guests' safety, they present practical issues for existing hotels built before such standards were put in place.

"We need time to adapt to these changes," said Aster Solomon, president of the Addis Abeba Hotel Owners Association.

The requirement for sprinklers, for instance, calls for substantial investment and partial reconstruction. Imported materials such as glass and sprinkler systems are deemed expensive, and their long delivery times add financial strain to complying with the new standards.

According to Alemayehu Fikremariam, an executive board member of the Association, the cost of renovation falls squarely on hotel owners. Despite these concerns, the Ministry of Tourism remains firm in its policy.

"We can't include uncertified hotels in the ratings," said Tariku Demessa, CEO of Tourist Service Qualification & Rating.

He told Fortune that these standards are essential for ensuring guest safety and that hotels must meet them to receive official ratings. The Commission has introduced a temporary three-tier certification system to ease the transition. The second and third levels of certification will not require sprinklers, offering businesses a grace period to meet the complete set of requirements. The system allows hotels to receive a rating and certification while working toward full compliance.

Yikfelew disclosed that the Commission has spent the past decade raising awareness and training businesses across various sectors in preparation for the directive's enactment. Although the directive was issued two years ago, formal enforcement has just begun.