A devastating fire has destroyed a six-room residential bungalow at Block D5, Ifedapo Estate, Amuloko area of Ibadan, Oyo State, resulting in losses estimated at millions of naira.

The Chairman of the Oyo State Fire Services Agency, Mr Maroof Akinwande, disclosed this in a statement made available to journalists on Saturday.

According to Akinwande, the incident occurred on Friday after the agency received a distress call at exactly 2:53 pm from a resident identified as Odetunde. Firefighters led by Assistant Chief Fire Superintendent (ACFS) Amoo were immediately deployed to the scene.

“On arrival, it was discovered that a six-room bungalow was already engulfed in flames. Our officers promptly swung into action and were able to prevent the fire from spreading to neighbouring buildings,” he said.

He confirmed that no lives were lost in the incident, adding that preliminary investigations indicated the fire was caused by a domestic gas cylinder that was left unattended and later exploded, setting the entire building ablaze.

“Properties worth millions of naira were destroyed by the fire,” Akinwande added.

The fire service boss advised residents to always handle gas appliances with caution and ensure cylinders are properly monitored to prevent similar incidents.

He also urged members of the public to promptly alert the fire service and provide clear and accurate addresses during emergencies to enable swift response.

Giving an overview of the agency’s activities, Akinwande revealed that rescue operations carried out within the year saved 42 lives and recovered 30 bodies from various incidents across the state.

He further provided a monthly breakdown of fire incidents recorded in the state: 29 cases in January, 27 in February, 22 in March, 24 in April, 24 in May, 17 in June, 15 in July, 14 in August, 24 in September, 13 in October, 13 in November, and 21 in December.