Residents of Chiene Street, Achara Layout, Enugu South council area were on Monday thrown into pandemonium, following a fire incident that engulfed part of a two storey building in the area.
The fire damaged household properties worth several millions of naira.
As at the time of filing this report, the real cause of the mysterious inferno, which started at about 7am could not be ascertained.
But for the quick intervention of men of the Enugu State Fire Service, the inferno would have spread to the entire building with almost six flats located at No.7 Chiene Street.
Although, no casualty was recorded in the unfortunate incident, the entire properties inside the particular flat where the fire started were completely burnt.
The octogenarian Widow Land Lady of the building, who hails from Oraifite in Ekwusigo local government area of Anambra state, could not speak when newsmen visited the scene and made efforts to interview her and her daughter who is the occupant of the affected flat, as they looked traumatised.
But speaking with newsmen, a neighbour who witnessed the incident, and gave his name as Hon. Chika Nzelu, said “it’s really sad and unfortunate.”
Hon. Nzelu, who was a former aide to the immediate past governor of Anambra state, Chief Wily Obiano, said residents and passersby made efforts to extinguish the fire but to no avail, as it was beyond what could be controlled by ordinary water.
He however, commended the Enugu state fire fighters for responding, but regretted that they came a bit late when the fire had almost wrecked havoc on the building.
Also fielding questions from journalists, leader of the Enugu fire Service team that salvaged the situation, Mr. Chukwuma Ugwuaneke, said “we got a distress emergency call from residents of this area this morning alarting us that there was a fire outbreak at No.7 Chiene street.
“On receiving the call, we immediately mobilized our men and fire engine to the scene. And we thank God that we were able to control and extinguish the fire at the point we met it.”
He, therefore, advised Enugu residents to always take fire precautionary measures very seriously, adding that people must always switch off their electrical appliances before going out, clear bushes around their houses especially this period of harmattan, above all ensure that they have fire extinguisher in their homes.