Fire razes Kano timber market, destroys 110 shops

An early-morning fire outbreak on Saturday destroyed no fewer than 110 buildings and structures at Kofar Ruwa Timber Market in the Kano metropolis.

The Kano State Fire Service, while confirming the incident in a statement on Sunday, said the inferno razed 75 permanent buildings and 35 temporary structures across different sections of the market.

The service’s Public Relations Officer, Kabiru Jafaru, said the fire broke out at approximately 7:39am on Saturday.

“In the early hours of Saturday, 31st October 2026, the agency received a distress call from a timber dealer identified as Alhaji Abba, prompting the immediate deployment of firefighters from various stations across the Kano metropolis.”

Jafaru disclosed that upon arrival at the scene, firefighters discovered that the flames had spread to several sections of the market, causing extensive damage to properties.

According to him, the firefighters eventually brought the inferno under control, preventing it from spreading to other sections of the market and causing further destruction.

“A total of 75 permanent buildings and 35 temporary structures were affected by the fire. By the grace of Almighty Allah, our team successfully brought the fire under control and prevented it from spreading to other sections of the market,” the statement added.

The agency’s spokesperson urged traders and business owners to remain vigilant and adopt appropriate fire-safety measures to prevent similar incidents in the future.

He particularly warned that extra caution was necessary, especially during the harmattan season, when dry and windy weather conditions could increase the risk of fire outbreaks.

As of the time of filing this report, the cause of the fire and the total financial losses suffered by affected traders had yet to be established.