Fire Destroys Eight Rooms in Residential Building in Kwara
An early-morning fire has destroyed eight rooms in a residential building at Alangua Compound, opposite Kulende Market, in the Sango area of Ilorin, Kwara State.
The incident occurred on Wednesday and also threatened about 20 shops within the building before firefighters arrived and brought the fire under control.
The Kwara State Fire Service said it received a distress call at 5:16 am and arrived at the scene at 5:32 am, by which time the building had already been engulfed in flames.
The service’s Public Relations Officer, Hassan Adekunle, disclosed this in a statement made available to The PUNCH in Ilorin.
According to the statement, firefighters immediately began operations upon arrival and successfully brought the fire under control at 6:10 am.
Preliminary investigations indicated that the fire broke out shortly after electricity was restored to the area.
The fire service said smoke was noticed coming from one of the rooms moments after power was restored.
It also disclosed that the affected room contained a large quantity of used rubber slippers and flip-flops reportedly gathered by scavengers for recycling.
The agency explained that the combustible nature of the materials contributed significantly to the rapid spread of the fire.
However, the exact circumstances surrounding the ignition remain subject to further investigation.
The Chief Fire Officer, Alabi Muhammed, commended the firefighters for their dedication and professionalism in containing the fire.
He warned residents, traders and recycling operators against careless storage of combustible materials, particularly rubber products, plastics, foam and other highly flammable items.
Muhammed advised the public to keep such materials in properly ventilated and designated areas, away from potential sources of ignition.
He also stressed the importance of promptly reporting fire incidents to enable firefighters to respond early and minimise damage.
The incident comes barely two weeks after another fire outbreak destroyed a building comprising three-bedroom flats in Kangile Village, Ilorin South Local Government Area, on October 26.
