Scene of the fire. Credit: Fire service
Fire has gutted a bungalow at Okenwa Housing Estate, behind Tourist Gardens Hotels, near the Anambra State Government House in Awka, destroying property and household appliances.
No casualties were recorded in the incident, which occurred on Sunday.
The Anambra State Fire Service said preliminary observations suggested that the fire might have been triggered by a spark from an electrical circuit, although the suspected cause was yet to be confirmed.
In a statement issued on Monday, the service’s Media and Publicity Unit, led by Chukwudi Chiketa, said firefighters responded to a distress call and successfully extinguished the blaze, preventing it from spreading to adjoining properties.
Chiketa said the emergency call was received at approximately 9:40am after residents reported the incident to the fire station.
It added that firefighters were immediately deployed to the scene to contain the fire.
“The Anambra State Fire Service has successfully contained and extinguished a fire outbreak that affected a bungalow at Okenwa Housing Estate, behind Tourist Gardens Hotels, near the Government House, Awka, on Sunday.
“On arrival, the responding firefighters commenced efforts to contain the blaze, and successfully extinguished the fire and prevented it from spreading to adjoining properties,” the statement read.
The service noted that the affected bungalow structures were situated close to one another within the same residential property, increasing the risk of the fire spreading to neighbouring buildings.
It said the affected area was secured after the firefighting operation, adding that personnel withdrew from the scene at approximately 12:40pm.
The service urged residents to ensure proper electrical installations, avoid overloading electrical circuits and promptly repair faulty wiring to reduce the risk of fire outbreaks.
It also advised residents to report fire emergencies promptly to enable a swift response and minimise damage to lives and property.
In September, fire gutted the Nigeria Customs Service Western Marine Command office in Apapa, Lagos, destroying property worth millions of naira.
The fire started at about 10:23am following an electrical surge in the conference room and spread to other sections of the building.