A LATE-NIGHT fire has destroyed shops, storage facilities and six houses at the Kofar Wambai Market in Kano State, leaving traders and residents counting their losses.
News Point Nigeria reports that the incident occurred on Friday night at Babban Layi, Yan Robobi section of the popular market, sparking a frantic response by firefighters who battled to prevent the flames from spreading to other parts of the market.
According to the Public Relations Officer of the Kano State Fire Service, ACFO Saminu Abdullahi, the agency’s Emergency Response Unit received a distress call at about 9:43 p.m. from Principal Fire Superintendent Usman Idris Fagge.
Abdullahi said firefighters from the Service Headquarters, Rijiyar Zaki, Sabon Gari, Government House and Bompai stations immediately rushed to the scene and battled the flames. On arrival, he said, they found a two-storey building measuring about 120 by 125 feet engulfed in fire.
He said the building, which housed plastic shops and storage facilities, was severely affected, with two shops on the ground floor, two on the first floor, six stores and four temporary stores on the upper floor destroyed.
“The houses affected include Gidan Alhaji Sani, Gidan Sani Muhammad, Gidan Alhaji Kwa Kwa, Gidan Alhaji Shafi’u and Gidan Alhaji Sulaiman,” he added.
The Fire Service PRO also said the fire started from the upper floor before spreading to the lower levels of the building, adding that the service had confirmed that the blaze was caused by a solar system installed in the building.
Despite the scale of the fire, Abdullahi said firefighters were able to contain the blaze and prevent it from spreading to other sections of the market.
The Director of the agency, Alhaji Sani Anas, appealed to traders and residents to remain vigilant and adopt proactive fire safety measures to prevent similar incidents.
He urged them to install fire detectors, keep functional fire extinguishers and ensure that all necessary safety precautions were observed at all times to reduce the risk of future outbreaks.
The latest incident adds to growing concern over recurring market fire outbreaks in Kano State, where traders have repeatedly suffered huge losses from similar disasters.
This year alone, the state has recorded about five market fire incidents, with Singer, Kano’s popular commodity hub, recording two separate outbreaks.
