The affected traders suffered greatly as a result of the fire, which destroyed motor spare parts and other items valued at several million naira.
According to information obtained by our correspondent, Ugwu, a mechanical engineer, was part of the crew sent to put out the market fire, which broke out on Wednesday at 1:10 a.m.
According to Okwudili Oha, the Chief Fire Officer of Enugu State, who verified his demise, he was laid to rest at the morgue of the Enugu State University Teaching Hospital (ESUTH).
He claimed that Ugwu was declared dead when he arrived at the hospital and that he fell shortly after he and other officials fought to put out the fire for more than two hours.
He was a committed officer who enjoyed setting an exemplary example. My favorite fire officer was him. He was not supposed to be at work because he was still recovering from an illness, but he chose to join the team because he was passionate about what he did.
"After more than two hours, we were able to put out the fire. It was a significant loss, he said.
Mike Nomeh, the president of the Enugu State Motor Spare Parts Dealers Association, acknowledged that the impacted stores, which sell a minimum of forty-five vehicle spare parts and other commodities, were indeed affected.
According to him, the neighboring restaurant that uses gas for cooking was affected by the fire that originated in one of the shops.
"Roughly midnight, one of our security personnel called to inform me that our market was on fire. As soon as our security men saw the fire, they hurried to put it out. However, upon arriving to the shop, they discovered that it was additionally secured with burglary proof.
"As they battled to enter the store, the fire spread to the adjacent business that was a restaurant. Immediately after, a gas cylinder inside the restaurant exploded, causing the fire to spread to many businesses.
"I called the state fire service when the fire got out of control, and they arrived in less than 15 minutes to put out the fire before it spread to other areas."
He expressed regret for the destruction and suffering the fire caused the traders, and he pleaded with the state government and well-meaning Nigerians to assist the impacted businesses.
On Wednesday, our correspondent went to the market and saw several of the vendors in a somber mood.
Ikenna Eneh, one of the store owners, said, "I lost everything." Not a single pin was taken out of my shop. I was informed last night that the fire was still going strong. The dense smoke made it impossible for me to find a way inside my shop when I arrived. It is truly regrettable and depressing.