Over 14 buildings and household properties worth over N100 million were lost to a fire outbreak on the night of Tuesday, January 13, 2026 at Macaulay Community in Bonny Local Government Area of Rivers State.
Eyewitnesses told Kristina Reports at the scene of the incident that residents of the area were the first responders who rallied to contain the fire, which they say broke out at about 7pm.
Residents, including those living in the affected residential areas, were divided over the cause of the fire outbreak; while some claim it was an electrical fault, others suggest it might have been from a cigarette or other inflammable object.
Fire trucks from Renaissance Africa Energy Company Limited (RAEC) and the Nigeria Liquefied Natural Gas Limited (NLNG) later arrived and quenched the fire thus restoring calm to the area.
Security operatives from the Nigeria Police Force (NPF), 146 Battalion Nigerian Army, and Department of State Services were on ground to ensure the chaos caused by the incident did not degenerate into a breakdown of law and order.
Secretary to the Bonny Local Government, Tamunotonye Jumbo responded swiftly to the situation and was, on arrival, conducted round the scene of the fire incident by the Secretary of the Community, Abel Kunu, and other residents.
He later addressed the victims of the incident, sympathizing with them on their plight, assuring that the Local Government would intervene to cushion the immediate effect of the tragedy that has befallen them.
Jumbo hinted Kristina Reports that the Chairman of the LGA, Abinye Pepple led administration is working assiduously to ensure the Bonny Fire Station becomes functional tentatively by end February 2026.
He further informed that the personnel to man the station were almost through with the retraining for the job, while newly procured equipment including fire trucks were on their way to Bonny, just as all necessary regulatory requirements were being pursued to a logical conclusion.
Some of the residents who spoke to Kristina Reports lamented the appalling situation where there was no fire station on standby to respond to emergency situations such as happened this night.
Some called on the Bonny LGA Chairman to hasten efforts at reactivating the Bonny Fire Station with a view to reducing response time to emergencies especially, fire outbreaks, as well as install fire hydrants in different parts of the LGA.