A late-night fire has razed a popular timber market in Calabar.

The market is a major depot for timber and associated business in the state capital.

Traders say the fire has consumed over N500 million worth of planks and other timber goods in hundreds of shops

The fire started on Friday evening, when most of the timber sellers and other traders in the market had closed for the day and gone home.

Nobody is yet certain as to the cause of the fire.

As of the time of this report, no fire service unit has responded to the emergency.

In most of the fire incidents in the state capital in recent times, fire services have hardly responded, leaving structures completely razed.

Last weekend, they did not attempt to respond when there was a major gas explosion at a private filling station on Edibe Edibe Road in Calabar South LGA.

There are state and federal fire services in Calabar as well as Airport, Nigerian Port Authority fire services.

Eyewitnesses have reported that most of the shops in the timber market have been burnt down.

Most of the timber traders who returned home after the close of business have hurried back to the market to see the possibility of salvaging any items.

No relevant authority, including the police, state emergency management agency, and fire services have made any statements.