On the night of Saturday, January 24, 2026, at approximately 10:30 p.m., a fire broke out in the Cluny Market, a historic market and the city's main commercial center.

A significant mobilization of firefighters, rescue services, Civil Protection, and law enforcement was required to extinguish the blaze. The fire was finally brought under control around 2:00 a.m. on Sunday, January 25, 2026, with substantial support from the Cap-Haitien International Airport Fire Department.

According to preliminary reports, the fire destroyed a large portion of the market's infrastructure, including the poultry sales area, and caused significant material damage to vendors, notably the destruction of approximately 30 warehouses along with all their merchandise and more than 100 small shops reduced to ashes.

The Municipal Administration will stand by the merchants affected by this tragedy and, in consultation with other relevant authorities, including the Prime Minister's Office, the Ministry of the Interior and Territorial Communities, the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, the Ministry of Social Affairs and Labor, as well as other relevant partners, will take all necessary measures to support the victims during this difficult time. The Municipality will communicate further details on the measures and arrangements that will be taken for the next steps.

The Municipal Commission expresses its deep solidarity with the merchants, vendors, employees, and families affected by this tragedy and announces that it will urgently establish a commission of inquiry in collaboration with the relevant institutions to determine the exact causes of this fire.

Reactions and messages :

The Haitian State :

"The Government wishes to strongly reaffirm that the State is present, mobilized, and fully committed to supporting the citizens severely affected by this disaster.

On the formal instructions of Prime Minister Alix Didier Fils-Aimé, the Minister of the Interior and Territorial Communities was immediately dispatched to the North Department to conduct a thorough and comprehensive assessment of the damage caused by the fire, which spread with exceptional ferocity, destroying numerous stalls and plunging many families into hardship.

The Government expresses its deepest sympathy to all those who have lost their property, their livelihoods, or who now find themselves in a precarious situation. It shares their pain, their anxiety, and their sense of loss, and reaffirms that no citizen will be left alone to face this ordeal.

This decision reflects the Prime Minister's clear commitment to ensuring an effective state presence on the ground, to fully exercising its sovereign responsibilities, and to implementing concrete, rapid, and appropriate assistance for the victims.

The Prime Minister is awaiting the official report from the Minister of the Interior in order to take appropriate measures without delay and implement a structured and coordinated institutional response aimed at supporting the affected families and businesses [...]"

Emmanuel Vertilaire, Member of the Presidential Transitional Council :

"I learned with great sadness of the fire that broke out at the Cluny Market in the city of Cap-Haitien [...] This tragedy represents a severe blow to the informal economy and directly impacts several hundred small merchants and market women who make this market a pillar of the department’s economic life [...] I have already spoken with the Prime Minister to give clear and formal instructions to all relevant authorities so that the victims can receive the necessary assistance without delay, while the judicial authorities conduct an investigation to determine the circumstances surrounding this tragedy [...]"

DINEPA message of solidarity :

"The National Directorate of Drinking Water and Sanitation (DINEPA) expresses its deepest sympathy to the merchants, the affected families, and the entire population of Cap-Haitien, who have been severely impacted by the devastating fire at the Cluny Market [...]

The General Directorate wishes to commend the professionalism, diligence, and responsiveness of DINEPA’s managers and staff, who were able to intervene promptly, making all fire hydrants available in close collaboration with the city’s firefighters, thus helping to limit the extent of the damage."

Furthermore, on the firm instructions of Prime Minister Fils-Aimé, appropriate measures will be taken to strengthen and improve the State's response capacity to this type of emergency. This will be done through a more effective, coordinated, and sustainable approach.

HL/ S/ HaitiLibre