By Akinnodi Francis, Ondo

A late evening inferno on Alhaji Odo Street, Odundun in Ile-Oluji, headquarters of the Ile-Oluji/Okeigbo Local Government Area of Ondo State, has left several families devastated as the fire gutted a residential building, destroying properties worth millions of naira.

The fire, which reportedly resulted from a power surge, broke out after a suspected electrical fault escalated, quickly consuming the entire building.

The blaze, which sent shockwaves through the quiet agrarian community, destroyed vital documents, household items and 36 kegs of palm oil.

Narrating the incident, an eyewitness, Mr. Olanrewaju Festus Oladipo, said the fire broke out suddenly and raged uncontrollably.

According to him, although residents made concerted efforts to extinguish the flames, their efforts were largely futile due to the lack of firefighting equipment in the area.

“We rushed to the fire service station on a motorcycle, but they told us they had no functional equipment to respond. It was very frustrating watching the building burn without being able to save anything,” Oladipo lamented.

A resident of the affected building, Mrs. Bukola Afolabi, recounted the harrowing experience, blaming the fire on an unstable power supply in the community.

“It was a power surge that caused the fire. Around 5:00 p.m., we contacted a BEDC official to report that we had no light. He said the issue had been rectified at the transformer. When power was restored briefly and taken again, we noticed some strange smell and sound and then the fire started,” she said.

“It took me time to grab my children and escape. The people around helped in putting out the fire, but we had already lost everything, my children’s certificates, mine and my husband’s documents, all our properties and 36 kegs of palm oil. We are six tenants including the landlord, and we are all farmers.”

Afolabi appealed to the government to regulate electricity supply in the area to prevent further tragedies. She also expressed gratitude to neighbours for their support during the incident.

Another resident, Mr. Taiwo Fayehun, decried the persistent lack of firefighting infrastructure in Ile-Oluji and called for urgent government intervention.

“Properties worth millions of naira have been lost, and this is not the first time such is happening here. We need fire service equipment stationed in Ile-Oluji. This is a core social service that government is supposed to provide,” he said.

Both residents and victims of the fire called on the Ondo State Government and the local council authorities to assist those affected and prevent future occurrences.