A fire outbreak on Tuesday morning destroyed six rooms in Akinsoji zone, Ogbere Moradeyo, Oremeji community, under Egbeda Local Government Area of Oyo State.
The incident, which occurred around 5:30 am, was linked to a cigarette stub carelessly dropped by one of the occupants of the building.
Residents said no life was lost, but several belongings worth millions of naira were burnt before firefighters arrived at the scene. Six rooms in the residential building were completely damaged by the flames.
According to the Oyo State Fire Service, the emergency call was received at about 5:55 am from a resident identified as Mr. Kayode. Fire officers, led by CFS Adesina Olusoji, moved quickly to the location. They found the building already engulfed in fire and immediately began efforts to stop it from spreading to nearby houses. The Federal Fire Service, Ibadan Command, also joined in putting out the flames.
The fire was eventually brought under control, and no casualties were reported. Authorities later confirmed that the blaze started after the cigarette stub came in contact with combustible items, which quickly triggered the spread of fire.
The Chairman of the Oyo State Fire Service, Maroof Akinwande, who also serves as the Special Adviser on Fire Reform to Governor Seyi Makinde, urged residents to be more careful with fire, particularly during the ember months when such incidents are more common.
This is not the first time Oyo State has witnessed such disasters. In July, several shops at the state government secretariat in Ibadan were destroyed in another fire incident traced to an electrical surge. Though firefighters managed to prevent the spread to other areas, five shops were lost in that outbreak.
The recurring cases of fire in the state have raised concerns over safety practices, making it clear that residents and business owners need to take greater precautions to protect lives and property.