A fire outbreak in the early hours of Friday destroyed three shops and goods worth millions of naira in the Sango area of Ibadan, Oyo State.
The fire started around 4:30am behind the Fart Oil filling station and was said to have been caused by an electrical spark from a freezer that had been plugged in overnight.
According to the PUNCH, the fire spread quickly and completely burnt down three out of ten nearby prefabricated shops before firefighters arrived at the scene.
Oyo State Fire Service General Manager, Yemi Akinyinka, confirmed the incident. He said the fire service received a distress call at exactly 4:41am from CSP Adesina, who reported that shops were burning behind the filling station.
“Our team, led by ACFS Adedeji (Mrs), rushed to the scene immediately. On getting there, three shops were already in flames,” Akinyinka said.
He added, “We acted fast to stop the fire from spreading to other shops. Luckily, no life was lost, and we were able to save several other shops and properties from being destroyed.”
The fire affected shops containing freezers, soft drinks, and other valuable goods.
Akinyinka explained that their investigation showed the fire was caused by a spark from a freezer that had been left plugged in and unattended through the night.
Residents in the area who gathered at the scene praised the quick response of the fire service, saying more shops could have been destroyed if not for their timely arrival.
No injuries or deaths were reported, but shop owners counted heavy losses, with some saying they lost their entire business stock.
