The General Manager, Oyo State Fire Service Agency, Mr Yemi Akinyinka, says it took his men about 10 hours before they could put off the Bodija Plank Market inferno in Ibadan, on Tuesday evening as access roads in the market were blocked with planks.
Akinyinka made this known on Wednesday in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), while reacting to the fire incident.
According to him, the agency received a distress call on Tuesday from one Mr Rasheed Akinwale at exactly 4.37 p.m about the fire incident.
“We deployed our personnel to the scene of the fire incident immediately, but the poor road network in the market caused a great problem for accessibility of the fire fighter trucks in gaining free entrance.
“We observed that access roads in the market were blocked with planks.
“However, our personnel, with support from the Federal Fire Service and Airport Fire Service, were able to restrict the fire from gaining further momentum.
“And, we finally put the fire under control after some hours and left the scene at 2.30 a.m,” Akinyinka said.
The general manager advised traders in the market to refrain from the habit of blocking access roads within the market.
Meanwhile, the Chairman, Oyo State Plank Sellers Association, Mr Waliyu Aderoju, has expressed shock over the incident.
Aderoju said the inferno destroyed planks and other building materials worth millions of naira.
He commended the bravery of the officers of the Fire Service, which brought the fire under control and prevented it from further destruction.
Aderoju said the cause of the fire disaster still remain unknown.
