Fire on Thursday razed a fun spot known as Quality Link Park in Wuse Zone VII, Abuja at about 11:00 a.m., destroying property worth more than N10 million.
A News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) correspondent at the scene, reports that the fire gutted two huts at the park.
Speaking to NAN, the Managing Director of the park, Mr Chinemelu Onwughalu, described the incident as “unfortunate”, noting that more than N10 million worth of property was destroyed.
He recalled that a similar incident happened four years ago, saying that the cause of the fire had been traced to the same person.
He, however, commended the FCT Fire Service Department for coming to put off the fire in time.
A gardener, Mr Abijah Britus, who caused the fire, told NAN that it happened while he was clearing refuse at a church sharing fence with the park.
“I was asked to burn the grass by my elder in the church, known as Community of Hashem Worldwide, and I told him the fire can extend but he insisted that I should go ahead and burn the grass.”
The leader of the fire service team, Mr Ijomah Azubuike, attributed the incident to “carelessness on the part of the young man burning grass close to the fence of the fun spot.
“He did not stay there and monitor the fire.
“This is what we call conventional fire, where smoke rise high above the fire level and breeze carries it sideways and then anywhere it touches it burns, especially this grass roof system.’’
He said that two huts out of six huts in the park were partially razed with some items recovered from the scene of the incident.
“ For now, we cannot ascertain the cost of the materials damaged by the fire incident because we were not here before it broke out.
“ We have to liaise with the owner of the building before we can ascertain the worth of what was destroyed.’’
Azubuike advised people to exercise caution during the dry season, especially when using fire to clear refuse. (NAN)
