A fire outbreak on Thursday morning gutted parts of a residential building at Olugbile House in the Iyalamu area of Oyo town, Oyo State.
The Fire Guts Residential Building in Oyo, which occurred around 5:00 a.m., was reportedly caused by a lighted cigarette stub left unattended by one of the occupants.
The cigarette ignited combustible materials, sparking a blaze that destroyed household items and property.
Although no casualties were recorded, two out of eight rooms in the building were affected.
Confirming the incident in Ibadan, the State Chairman of the Oyo State Fire Service, Maroof Akinwande, said firefighters were immediately deployed to the scene.
“Upon arrival at the scene of the incident, our officers met two rooms out of eight rooms of an ancient residential building on fire.
They quickly swung into action, and the fire was subdued and prevented from spreading beyond the two rooms,” he said.
Akinwande added that the fire was completely extinguished and that both occupants and onlookers were sensitised on fire prevention measures, particularly the importance of having fire extinguishers at home.
“The fire incident was a result of a lighted cigarette stub left unattended by one of the occupants and ignited combustible materials, which set the house ablaze.
No casualty was recorded; the agency was able to save properties worth millions of naira,” he said.
The fire service urged residents to report incidents promptly and make use of the agency’s emergency lines: 08067439223, 08054353501, or 615.
The incident comes amid recurring fire outbreaks in Oyo State, many of which have been traced to negligence, including unsafe smoking habits, mishandling of electrical appliances, and cooking gas.
According to the fire service, dozens of residential and market fires have been recorded since the beginning of 2025, leading to millions of naira in losses.
Authorities have repeatedly advised residents to adopt strict fire safety practices, especially during the dry season, when harmattan winds make combustible materials more flammable and early intervention is critical.
