FIRE GUTS THREE RESIDENTIAL BUILDINGS IN IBADAN, THREE RESCUED

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By Aishat Momoh. O.

Three persons were rescued with minor injuries after a fire outbreak destroyed three bungalow residential buildings at Amosun Compound, Aremo area of Ibadan, Oyo State, in the early hours of Friday.

Eyewitnesses said the fire started around 12:05 a.m. after an electrical appliance that was left plugged in during a power outage ignited when electricity was restored. The inferno reportedly raged for more than an hour before it was eventually brought under control.

Those injured in the incident were rushed to a nearby hospital for medical attention.

Confirming the incident, the Special Adviser to Governor Seyi Makinde on Fire Services Reform, Mr. Moroof Akinwande, said the Oyo State Fire Service received a distress call at about 12:15 a.m. and immediately deployed firefighters to the scene.

According to Akinwande, the responding team, led by Chief Fire Superintendent Adekola, arrived to find three bungalow buildings already engulfed in flames. An additional fire truck was requested from the Fire Service Headquarters to support the operation.

“Our officers immediately swung into action, successfully containing the fire and preventing it from spreading to nearby buildings and properties,” he said.

He confirmed that three persons were rescued alive with minor injuries and treated at a nearby hospital, adding that the fire was traced to an electrical appliance left plugged in during a power outage.

Akinwande advised residents to always unplug electrical appliances when not in use to prevent similar incidents, stressing that early preventive measures could save lives and property.

He also urged members of the public to promptly contact emergency services during fire outbreaks, noting that the fire had been burning for about an hour before the fire service was alerted.

The fire service adviser further encouraged residents to save emergency contact numbers 08067439223, 08054353501, or the toll-free line 615 and to install fire extinguishers in their homes to tackle early-stage fires.

In a related development, the Oyo State Fire Service also extinguished a fire incident at Ajibade Street, opposite Guarantee Trust Bank, Mokola area of Ibadan, on Thursday evening.

Akinwande said the fire was reported at about 7:14 p.m. and involved heaps of refuse that were burning and threatening nearby buildings.

He noted that firefighters quickly prevented the flames from spreading, with no casualties recorded and properties worth millions of naira saved. A crew from the Federal Fire Service also supported the operation.

He warned residents to desist from setting refuse and bushes on fire, especially during the dry season, to avert avoidable fire disasters.