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, which occurred on Wednesday, also threatened about 20 shops within the building before firefighters arrived and brought the inferno 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, a copy of which was made available to The in Ilorin.
According to the statement, firefighters immediately commenced intensive operations on arrival and successfully brought the fire under control at 6:10 am.
Giving an account of the possible cause of the incident, the service said preliminary investigations indicated that the fire broke out shortly after electricity was restored to the area.
The statement read, “The fire affected eight rooms, while other adjoining buildings were successfully protected from the spread of the flames through the swift and coordinated intervention of our personnel.
“Smoke was noticed coming from one of the rooms some moments after electricity was restored to the area.”
The agency disclosed that the affected room contained a large quantity of used rubber slippers and flip-flops reportedly gathered by scavengers for recycling.
“The combustible nature of the materials contributed significantly to the rapid spread of the fire,” it stated.
However, the fire service noted that the exact circumstances surrounding the ignition remained subject to further investigation.
The Chief Fire Officer, Alabi Muhammed, commended the firefighters for their dedication, professionalism and determination in containing the inferno.
He also warned residents, traders and recycling operators against storing combustible materials carelessly, particularly rubber products, plastics, foam and other highly flammable items.
Muhammed urged members of the public to ensure that such materials were kept in properly ventilated and designated areas, away from potential sources of ignition.
He further emphasised the importance of promptly reporting fire incidents to enable firefighters to respond early and minimise damage.
“Early notification gives firefighters a better opportunity to minimise damage and protect surrounding properties,” the Chief Fire Officer stressed.
The incident comes barely two weeks after a fire outbreak destroyed a building comprising three-bedroom flats in Kangile Village, Ilorin South Local Government Area of the state, on October 26.