Residents Fear for Safety as Fire Destroys Plastic Warehouse in Osun

Panic hit residents and traders in the Old Garage area of Osogbo, Osun State, on Sunday after a fire destroyed a warehouse used for storing plastic containers.

The warehouse is near a filling station and the Dugbe Divisional Headquarters of the Nigeria Police Force. This raised fears that the fire might spread to nearby buildings.

As of 7:10 p.m., when our reporter left the scene, firefighters were still trying to put out the fire. The alarm was raised at about 2 p.m.

The location of the warehouse added to the worry among locals and business owners. Many people watched as firefighters worked hard to stop the flames from spreading.

A petty trader near the warehouse, Modupe Olatoye, reported that smoke was first seen coming from the building around 2 p.m.

"We saw smoke coming from the building at about 2 p.m. and immediately called the Oke Fia Fire Station in Osogbo.

"The firefighters responded quickly and have been fighting the fire ever since. The warehouse is surrounded by other buildings and is very close to a filling station.

"People are worried about the fire spreading, but the firefighters are doing everything they can to contain it," Olatoye said.

Ibrahim Adekunle, the spokesperson for the Osun State Fire Service, spoke with PUNCH Metro at the scene. He said five fire trucks were sent to fight the blaze.

"We are focused on stopping the fire from getting worse. About five fire trucks are here. We don't know yet what caused the fire.

"The incident was reported to us around 2 p.m. We will start a full investigation after the fire is completely out," Adekunle said.

As of the time of this report, the extent of damage caused by the fire was still unknown.