An electrical surge caused a fire outbreak that gutted a shop in the Stadium Area of Ogbomoso in the early hours of Sunday, the Oyo State Fire Services Agency has said.

The agency disclosed that it received a distress call at about 4:39 a.m. reporting a fire incident at No. 5, Ile Atagbonrin, Stadium Area, Ogbomoso.

According to the agency, the incident was reported via a telephone call by one Hon. George Gbadegesin, prompting an immediate response from firefighters attached to the Ogbomoso Zonal Command.

A team of fire service officers  was swiftly mobilised to the scene to combat the blaze. On arrival, the firefighters discovered that a pre-fabricated shop adjoining a six-room residential building had been engulfed by fire.

The crew immediately commenced firefighting operations and successfully extinguished the inferno within minutes, preventing it from spreading to the nearby residential building and other adjoining structures.

The agency said no casualty was recorded during the incident. Preliminary investigations traced the cause of the fire to an electrical surge originating from a refrigerator that had been left plugged into a power source.

Following the operation, the Zonal Commander, Engr. M. Olubodun, delivered a fire safety lecture to the occupants and sympathisers at the scene, educating them on preventive measures to avoid future fire incidents.

The Special Adviser on Fire Services Reform and Chairman of the Oyo State Fire Services Agency, Dr. Moroof Adebayo Akinwande, urged residents to be more conscious of fire safety and adopt preventive measures in their homes and business premises.

He stressed the importance of installing fire extinguishers in residential buildings and shops to enable prompt response to fire outbreaks before they escalate into major disasters.

Akinwande also urged members of the public to promptly report fire incidents, provide accurate addresses, and make use of the agency’s emergency lines to facilitate swift intervention during emergencies.