There was uncontrollable wailing, yesterday, as traders and some residents woke up to the sad news that fire had destroyed the Timber Market at Marine Base in Port Harcourt City Local Government Area of Rivers State.
It was gathered that the fire gutted the popular market in the state around 11:30pm, last Wednesday and continued burning until the early hours of yesterday.
It was gathered that the mysterious fire razed the entire market and some residential buildings within the area.
A source in the area, who gave her name simply as Gift, narrated that activities had closed for the day before the fire engulfed the makeshift market.
Gift noted that they had called the state fire service when the incident started, but quickly added that the service’s response could not turn up because of lack of personnel.
She said, “There was heavy fire last night at Marine Base market. The fire burnt down the market. Traders in the market lost every of their goods.
“The fire started around 11:30pm, when the market had already closed. Nobody died in the incident but traders lost everything they had to the fire.
“When the fire started, we called fire service. They said they would come. After about 30 minutes, we called the line again; a lady picked the call but said they can’t come because their men were not on the ground. They have gone for another duty.
“People have lost goods worth millions of Naira. Some of the shop owners came in around 12:30am, and met their shops razed, while some came and saved few of their goods.”
Another victim, who was seen wailing over the loss of his merchandise, said, “Last night around 11:35pm, the fire started, and the fire is still raging this morning as you can see. There were series of calls put across to fire fighters, but none responded up to this moment (morning).
“The fire actually affected areas where we are selling planks for buildings. Even shops where they sell caskets were also affected by the fire.”
One of the victims, who simply gave his name as Onyema, said that he became hypertensive patient as a result of incessant fire outbreaks at the Timber Market.
Onyema noted that when he got calls from some of his colleagues about the fire, he refused to rush down due to his health condition.
Another victim, Chidi Ogbomma, who sells building materials said, “I was at home around 11:30pm to 12midnight when I was called that there was fire at the market.
“I don’t know where to start from,” Ogbomma lamented as his machines, industrial woods and finished products were completely consumed in the fire.
The Chairman, Marine Base Timber Market, Isaac Amaewhule, said he was called at about midnight that the market was on fire, but could not race down because he stays far away.
“When I came, the security told me that the fire started from the coffin (casket) side. They said they were very surprised to see such huge fire. They said they didn’t know what caused it.
“I am using this opportunity to call on the state government to help us because we are all Nigerians. Even people selling pure water, food, and so on, come here to sell and sustain themselves and their families,” Amaewhule pleaded.
Some of the traders lamented that they had suffered several fire disasters in the past, estimating the latest loss to over N300million.
They regretted that anytime fire outbreaks occur, they lose virtually all their property as rescue operations have always been difficult.
They appealed to the Rivers State Government to come to their aid in terms of financial assistance and construction of a befitting market for them to forestall future recurrence.
The cause of the fire outbreak could not be ascertained by the time of this report.
However, it was learnt that the fire started from the casket section of the market, even as those affected said no fire-fighters came to put out the inferno.
When The Tide visited the scene of the inferno about 7:30am, yesterday, it was observed that the fire was still raging in some parts of the wood section.
The incident occurred barely five days after a similar fire outbreak on February 20, razed property worth over N10million at the popular Mile 3 Market in the state capital.
The cause of the section of the Mile 3 Market fire incident, which mostly destroyed several shops, including cold rooms on the Bishop Okoye Line, is yet to be determined.
The second fire incident also occurred along Chief Odum Street in the Ogbumnabali area of Port Harcourt; where over 20 shanties were destroyed rendering hundreds of residents homeless.

Susan Serekara-Nwikhana