A fire outbreak on Thursday destroyed property worth millions of naira in a building in Ilorin, the Kwara State capital.
The incident occurred at about 15:56 hours adjacent to Ile-Anu Wofem Church, behind the Industrial Training Fund, ITF, Asa-Dam Area, Ilorin metropolis, according to the spokesman of the state fire service, Hassan Adekunle.
“The incident involved a building comprising three-bedroom flats and a room-and-parlour self-contained apartment. The fire affected three bedrooms.
“Due to the late call to the fire service, the fire had already gained significant ground before the arrival of the firefighters.
“However, through their prompt and professional intervention, the firefighters successfully contained the inferno and saved the adjoining block of room-and-parlour self-contained apartment from being consumed by the fire,” the spokesman stated.
Adekunle disclosed that preliminary investigation revealed that the fire was suspected to have been caused by a power surge, which ignited combustible materials within the affected section of the building.
The Chief Fire Officer of the state fire service, CFO Alabi Muhammed, advised residents to ensure that their electrical installations are properly inspected and maintained by qualified personnel.
He further urged members of the public to contact the state fire service immediately whenever a fire is noticed, stressing that early notification gives firefighters a better opportunity to contain the fire before it escalates.