A devastating fire broke out in Oyo town, reducing a residential building to ashes and destroying properties worth millions of naira. The incident occurred on Thursday morning at Prince Bayo Sanda Villa in the Farade area.
The Oyo State Fire Service confirmed that the fire started due to a power surge. The General Manager of the agency, Mr. Yemi Akinyinka, noted in a statement that the entire building was engulfed in flames before firefighters arrived at the scene.
“The fire incident was reported at exactly 10:35 hrs on Thursday, 27th March, 2025,” Akinyinka said.
Firefighters, led by PFS11 Makinde, were immediately deployed to the location. However, upon arrival, they found the building completely engulfed by flames. Despite their swift response, the fire had already caused significant damage.
The investigation revealed that the fire started after electricity was restored to the building. Unfortunately, the occupants were not home at the time, leaving the fire unnoticed until a passerby saw the flames.
“It was later discovered by a passersby, and none of the people in the vicinity knew the fire service emergency line. Even the fire had been burning for about 45 minutes before the running caller got to our office to report. This made it gain momentum before the arrival of the fire service,” Akinyinka added.
By the time help arrived, the fire had already consumed the entire building, leaving nothing behind. Fortunately, firefighters were able to prevent the flames from spreading to nearby structures.
The Federal Fire Service Oyo Command also assisted in controlling the fire. Officials are now urging residents to keep emergency numbers handy and take precautions to prevent similar incidents.
