A midnight fire on Friday gutted four shops at Saki Motor Park, opposite Trans Amusement Park, Bodija, in the Ibadan North Local Government Area of Oyo State.
The blaze, which started around 2:00 a.m., was reportedly caused by unattended embers left after the close of business, eyewitnesses said.
The fire ravaged four out of 11 shops before firefighters arrived.
Confirming the incident, the State Fire Service Chairman and Special Adviser to Governor Seyi Makinde on Fire Reform, Maroof Akinwande, said the fire was reported at exactly 2:07 a.m.
He explained that firefighters, led by ACFS Mrs. Adedeji, swiftly curtailed the flames, preventing them from spreading to adjoining shops and nearby buildings.
“No casualty was recorded. The remote cause of the fire was traced to lighted embers that ignited nearby combustibles.
Four shops were affected, but properties worth millions of naira were saved by the officers,” Akinwande said.
He urged residents to be fire-conscious, keep emergency lines handy, and install fire extinguishers in their homes and business premises.