The chairman of Obio Akpor Local Government Area of Rivers State, Hon. George Ariolu, says on the spot assessment revealed that a spark from a generator, one of the traders at the furniture market was trying to put on, caused the inferno.
Ariolu, made this known in a chat with our correspondent, when he visited the scene of the incident on Monday.
He said if traders at the market had fire extinguishers they would have been able to put out the fire when it started.
He advised shop owners in the area and the state at large to have fire extinguishers, to confront such incidents.
Meanwhile, some shop owners at the market, said all their goods got burnt as they were unable to bring out anything.
Residents of the area who helped put out the fire, said for more than three hours firefighters could not show up to help.