A fire outbreak on Friday night destroyed fifteen rooms in a storey building on Ejiba Street, off Kwara Stadium Road, Ilorin West Local Government Area of Kwara State.
The incident, confirmed by the Kwara State Fire Service, was caused by negligence in handling a gas cooker. It was the second fire reported in Ilorin within a week.
According to a statement by Hassan Adekunle, the Principal Fire Officer and Head of Media and Publicity for the state fire service, the distress call was received at about 8:05 pm on March 7, 2025.
“The fire crew responded swiftly and arrived to find several rooms ablaze. Out of 104 rooms in the storey building, they successfully saved 89, with only 15 affected by the inferno,” the statement read.
Preliminary investigations revealed that the fire started due to a gas cooker left unattended.
This incident comes just days after another fire outbreak in the Oke-Apomu area of Ilorin West, where seven rooms were destroyed on Wednesday. The fire, which occurred at number 90, Koro compound, affected a one-storey building containing 20 rooms.
Reacting to the latest incident, the Director of the Kwara State Fire Service, Prince Falade John, urged the public to prioritize safety and remain cautious when using gas cookers.
“This is the second fire incident within a week linked to negligence in handling gas cookers. We strongly warn against using gas cookers without strict attention,” he said.
Prince Falade further reassured residents that the Kwara State Fire Service remains committed to protecting lives and property through proactive fire prevention measures and rapid emergency response.
The fire service encouraged the public to always report emergencies quickly and follow safety guidelines to prevent future incidents.
