With barely 72 hours, three major fire incidents have hit Port Harcourt, the Rivers State capital, leaving properties worth millions of naira destroyed.
The first incident took place on Saturday night at the building behind the popular fruit garden market in Port Harcourt City Local Government Area of Rivers State.
The fire started and around 8 pm and lasted for several hours before men for the federal fire service were able to put it out.
The fire destroyed several buildings around the area including a new generation church.
It is believed to have been caused by “combustive materials”, according to the Rivers State Commissioner for Energy and Natural Resources, Dr. Peter Medee who visited the fire scene on Sunday for an on-the-spot assessment.
The commissioner said, “I have seen that this company is not in operation, and because it is not in operation, the premises has been converted to use for unwholesome practices which may not also be far from the storage of petroleum products by people doing things that are illegal”.
Also speaking, the Rivers State Commander of the Federal Fire Service, Abdullahi Audu, who was also at the scene promised that an investigation into the cause of the fire will soon commence.
In less than 24 hours another building around the Rumuagholu area of Obio Akpor local government of the state was gutted by fire.
The fire quickly spread to other structures around the area.
Initial attempts by men of the Federal Fire Service to put out the fire proved abortive as it continued to spread to other structures including the fence of a new generation bank in the area.
A reinforcement team of the fire service however arrived at the scene and were able to put out the fire after several hours.
The fire occurred as a result of the activities of “oil bunkerers” who stored adulterated fuel in the building.
Meanwhile, another fire outbreak occurred Monday morning at the Nembe waterfront in the Creek Road Market axis of the city.
The exact cause of the incident couldn’t be immediately ascertained, but the inferno engulfed wooden and other market boats in the area.
The area however, is noted for bunkering activities.
