Property worth millions of naira has been destroyed following a fire outbreak in Okuku, Yala Local Government Area of Cross River State on Thursday night.

The fire, which reportedly started in a bungalow, spread rapidly to adjoining buildings before it could be brought under control, resulting in extensive damage to surrounding structures.

According to a report by the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), residents—particularly youths and women—made frantic efforts to salvage belongings from the affected homes amid the blaze.

An eyewitness, Benjamin Ogar, attributed the incident to a power surge from public electricity supply, noting that the main building suffered significant losses.

“This fire was caused by an electric power surge, and a lot was lost in the main building affected by the inferno,” he said. “Such large-scale destruction could be avoided if there was an effective fire service department. When the fire started, we rushed to the fire station but discovered they had nothing to work with.”

Another resident, Nsikak Abang, called on the government to urgently revamp fire service stations across the state’s three senatorial districts, warning that their poor condition poses a serious threat to lives and property.

“I am aware that the situation is the same in Calabar and Ogoja. Something has to be done quickly. If the government is serious about public safety, it should equip fire service stations because emergencies do not give prior notice,” he said.

Reacting to the incident, the Director of the Cross River State Fire Service, Emmanuel Ajom, disclosed that the agency’s fire trucks are currently undergoing maintenance.

The incident has renewed concerns over the state of emergency response infrastructure in the state.