FIRE RAZES SIX ROOMS IN OYO COMMUNITY, MILLIONS LOST TO PROPERTY DAMAGE

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By Aishat Momoh. O.

A fire outbreak on Tuesday morning destroyed six rooms at Akinsoji Zone, Ogbere Moradeyo, Oremeji community, in Egbeda Local Government Area of Oyo State.

The inferno, which started around 5:30 a.m., was reportedly triggered by the careless disposal of a cigarette stub by one of the occupants of the building.

An eyewitness, Tunji Bamgbade, said although no life was lost, the fire spread rapidly before firefighters arrived, leaving six rooms severely damaged and properties worth millions of naira destroyed.

He said, “Six rooms were affected before the arrival of firefighters, while properties worth millions of naira were also destroyed.”

Confirming the incident, the Chairman of the Oyo State Fire Service and Special Adviser to Governor Seyi Makinde on Fire Reform, Maroof Akinwande, explained that the fire was jointly extinguished by officers of the Federal Fire Service, Ibadan Command, and state firefighters. He added that no casualties were recorded.

Akinwande said investigations revealed that the blaze was caused by the indiscriminate dropping of a cigarette stub, which ignited nearby combustible materials. He cautioned residents to remain vigilant, particularly during the ember months when fire outbreaks are common.

The incident adds to the rising cases of fire disasters across Oyo State. Just in July, a midnight fire gutted several shops at the Oyo State Government Secretariat, Ibadan. Preliminary findings then linked the cause to an electrical surge.

Authorities have continued to urge residents and business owners to adopt preventive safety measures to reduce the risk of future fire outbreaks.