Millions Lost As Fire Guts Furniture Shops In Bayelsa

Property worth millions of naira has been destroyed following an early morning fire outbreak that gutted several furniture shops near the former NEPA office in the Opolo axis of Yenagoa, the Bayelsa State capital.

The inferno, which residents said started around 4:00 am on Thursday, caught many shop owners and residents unawares as most people were still asleep when the flames began to spread.

Naija News reports that the affected furniture market is located opposite a popular filling station in the area, a bustling commercial spot known for woodwork and upholstery businesses.

Although the exact cause of the fire has yet to be officially determined, residents alleged that the blaze may have been triggered by materials set ablaze overnight by a security guard to repel mosquitoes.

According to Daily Trust, sources within the area said the small fire lit for warmth or mosquito control might have spiralled out of control, eventually engulfing nearby shops stocked with highly flammable materials such as foam, varnish and wood.

A caretaker in one of the affected shops, Agbedo Matthew, said he received a distress call at about 4:00 am and immediately rushed to the scene.

According to him, by the time he arrived, the fire had already caused severe destruction.

“I received a call around 4:00am and rushed down here. When I got here, the damage was already extensive,” he said.

Matthew added that officials of the Bayelsa State Fire Service arrived at about 6:00am and made efforts to contain the raging flames.

Another victim, Mr Agbedo Jude, a furniture designer with a shop in the market, described the incident as devastating.

He said he hurried to the area after being alerted, only to discover that his shop had been completely razed.

“Everything I laboured for years in this business has gone in a night of fire. I’m empty now, not knowing where to start from,” he lamented.

Jude appealed to the state government and well-meaning individuals for assistance to enable him and other affected traders to rebuild their businesses.

A resident of the area, Mr Wanfor Obina, said neighbours made frantic efforts to control the fire using buckets of water and other available means before the arrival of firefighters.

He noted that despite their efforts, the highly combustible materials in the furniture shops made it difficult to stop the spread of the flames.

Confirming the incident, the Bayelsa State Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Musa Muhammad, said no life was lost in the inferno.

He, however, did not provide further details on the extent of the damage or the suspected cause of the fire.

As of the time of filing this report, affected shop owners were seen counting their losses, salvaging what remained of their goods, and appealing for urgent assistance to cushion the impact of the disaster.