Three residents were rescued with minor injuries after a fierce fire gutted three bungalow-style homes at Amosun Compound, Aremo, in the early hours of Friday, December 26, 2025. The incident has raised fresh concerns about fire safety in residential areas of the state capital.
The inferno reportedly broke out shortly after midnight, with eyewitnesses telling The PUNCH that the blaze began around 12:05 a.m., triggered by an electrical appliance left plugged in during a power outage that sparked into life the moment electricity was restored.
Residents watched in alarm as flames spread rapidly through the compound, consuming property and forcing neighbours to mobilise in an effort to alert authorities. According to onlookers, the fire raged for more than an hour before firefighters brought it under control, with the injured quickly transported to a nearby hospital for medical attention.
The Oyo State Fire Service, through Moroof Akinwande, Special Adviser on Fire Services Reform to Governor Seyi Makinde, confirmed the rescue and detailed the response in a statement to journalists.
“The agency received a distress call at exactly 00:15 hours today (Friday) from Mr Mayowa about a house on fire at Amosun Compound, Aremo, Ibadan,” Akinwande said. “The fire personnel, led by CFS Adekola, promptly responded and were deployed to the scene.”
The fire crews found three bungalows fully engulfed in flames upon arrival. Akinwande explained that responders quickly requested an additional fire truck from the Fire Service Headquarters to bolster containment efforts and halt the spread to adjacent structures.
“Three persons were rescued alive with minor injuries and treated at a nearby hospital. The fire incident resulted from an electrical appliance left plugged in during a power outage, which ignited when power was restored,” he added.
Akinwande used the incident to urge residents to practise caution with electrical fixtures, particularly following frequent power interruptions.
He warned that the fire had been burning for an hour before the fire service was notified, highlighting delays in public reporting. Residents were encouraged to store the service’s emergency numbers — 08067439223, 08054353501 or the toll-free 615 — for quicker response times in future emergencies.
“Always unplug appliances when not in use to prevent fire disasters,” he advised, underscoring the importance of household fire extinguishers to curb outbreaks at early stages.
In a related development, Akinwande noted that fire crews also responded to another blaze on Ajibade Street, opposite Guarantee Trust Bank in Mokola, Ibadan. That fire was reported Thursday evening and involved heaps of refuse ignited by unknown persons, threatening nearby properties before firefighters doused the flames.
Authorities continue to remind the public that with dry conditions and frequent power fluctuations, proactive safety measures and swift reporting can significantly reduce the scale and toll of fire disasters in Oyo State.
