A late-night fire at Agbaakin Street, behind Testing Ground in the Iwo Road area of Ibadan, has claimed the life of a woman, while two men were rescued from the burning building.
The incident, which occurred on Monday, was confirmed in a statement issued on Tuesday by the Chairman of the Oyo State Fire Service, Maroof Akinwande.
He explained that the blaze was triggered by a lighted charcoal cooking pot that was left unattended, causing it to ignite flammable materials within the building.
Akinwande noted that officers of the Federal Fire Service joined the state firefighters in bringing the situation under control.
“The fire emergency was received at exactly 20:18 hours on Monday, December 8, 2025.
“On getting there, it was two rooms on the upper floor of a private residential building of 12 rooms engulfed by fire.
“One person (female) was recovered, while two persons (males) were rescued alive. The fire also affected only two rooms, and the whole building and other properties worth millions of naira were saved by the officers of the agency.
“The fire incident was a result of a lighted charcoal cooking pot left unattended, which ignited nearby combustible materials. The operation was jointly carried out with the Federal Fire Service, Ibadan Command,” he explained.
In a separate incident on Tuesday, fire also gutted parts of the Agric Business Development Agency located at Total Garden, Ibadan.
A statement from Akinwande said the service received a distress call from an official identified as Mr. Akinyinka, who alerted them to the outbreak.
“The incident was reported at exactly 09:20hrs on Tuesday, December 9, 2025, through a telephone call by Mr Akinyinka (the General Manager, Oyo State Fire Services Agency) to the office, reporting a fire at the above-stated address.
“The officers, led by ACFS Oyeniyi Taofeek, swiftly mobilised and deployed to the scene. Upon arrival, it was discovered that electrical sparks from a solar inverter control board on the upper floor of the building resulted in the fire.
“The swift response and professional intervention of our officers prevented the situation from escalating into a fire disaster. The use of portable fire extinguishers was employed during the firefighting operation.
“No casualty was recorded, and properties worth millions of naira were saved by the fire service. The fire incident was a result of electrical sparks from the inverter system,” the statement read.
Akinwande urged residents to ensure the use of proper electrical materials and safe installation practices to prevent fire incidents.