A fierce fire erupted on Thursday evening at Alhaji Odo Street in the Odundun area of Ile-Oluji, the headquarters of Ile-Oluji/Okeigbo Local Government Area in Ondo State, leaving several families homeless and destroying valuables worth millions of naira.
The inferno, believed to have been triggered by a power surge caused by an electrical fault, rapidly consumed a residential building, reducing it and its contents to rubble. Residents said the fire struck without warning, destroying household belongings, crucial documents, and 36 kegs of palm oil.
Efforts by community members to control the blaze proved unsuccessful due to the lack of firefighting equipment in the area.
An eyewitness, Mr. Olanrewaju Festus Oladipo, described the scene as devastating and expressed frustration at the absence of emergency support. “We rode to the fire station on a motorcycle, but officials there said they had no functioning equipment. We were helpless as the fire destroyed everything,” he recounted.
One of the affected residents, Mrs. Bukola Afolabi, narrated how she and her children narrowly escaped the flames. She blamed the fire on the community’s unstable power supply.
“We had no light and were told by a BEDC official that the transformer had been fixed. Not long after power was briefly restored, it went off again. Then we smelled something unusual and heard a noise before the fire broke out,” she said.
Mrs. Afolabi said she lost her children’s academic certificates, family documents, and all household items. According to her, the building housed six families, including the landlord, all of whom are farmers.
She appealed to authorities to address the erratic power supply and provide basic emergency services to prevent similar disasters in the future. Afolabi also thanked neighbors who did their best to help during the crisis.
Another resident, Mr. Taiwo Fayehun, criticized the ongoing lack of fire response infrastructure in the community. He urged the government to urgently establish a functional fire service unit in Ile-Oluji.
“This is not the first time we are experiencing such a loss due to fire. The government needs to take action and equip our town with essential emergency services,” he stated.
Residents are now calling on the Ondo State Government and the local council to provide support for the victims and put measures in place to prevent future tragedies.
