A late-night inferno has devastated a major timber market in Calabar, Cross River State, destroying stacks of wood and other materials valued at millions of naira and leaving traders counting their losses.

Videos from the scene show towering flames consuming rows of timber sheds as thick smoke billowed over the area. In one clip, three visibly distraught men stand helplessly before the blaze, lamenting the loss of their livelihoods while piles of lumber crackle and collapse in the background.

The fire broke out at the timber market located beside the Police Barracks in the state capital. Witnesses said the flames spread rapidly through the closely packed wooden structures, giving traders little time to salvage their goods.

In the early moments of the incident, no fire service trucks were seen in the footage circulating on social media, heightening fears that the blaze could spread beyond the market. Residents nearby were heard shouting and calling for help as the fire intensified.

The Cross River State Police Command later confirmed the incident, saying preliminary findings suggested the fire may have been triggered by a spark from the public power supply within the market. The Police Public Relations Officer, ASP Sunday Eitokpah, said the command received a distress call and immediately mobilised personnel to the scene.

According to him, patrol teams and tactical units were deployed, and the operation was personally coordinated by the Commissioner of Police, Rashid Afegbua. The police also contacted both the Cross River State Fire Service and the University of Calabar Fire Service to reinforce the response.

Eitokpah explained that the combined efforts of security operatives and firefighters eventually contained the blaze and prevented it from spreading to the nearby Police Barracks, where officers and their families reside. Fire crews battled the flames for several hours before finally extinguishing the inferno.

No casualties were reported, but the financial impact on traders is expected to be severe. Many of the affected shop owners had stocked large quantities of timber and related materials, much of it purchased on credit.

The police said an investigation has been launched to determine the exact cause of the fire and to assess the extent of the damage. The command also urged market operators and the public to observe strict fire safety measures, particularly in high-risk environments such as timber and electronics markets.