Fire guts residential building in Kwara

A fire outbreak on Sunday morning destroyed parts of a residential building in Ilorin, the Kwara State capital, affecting a store and a room within the property.

The incident occurred at about 7:10 am at No. 5 Obafemi Akere Street, off Basin Road, Ilorin, prompting an emergency response from the Kwara State Fire Service.

The development was disclosed in a statement issued by the spokesperson for the Fire Service, Hassan Adekunle, a copy of which was made available to The PidomNigeria in Ilorin.

According to the statement, the affected property was a five-bedroom bungalow, with the fire damaging a store and a room located at the rear section of the building.

“On Sunday, 7 June 2026, at 07:10hrs, the Kwara State Fire Service responded to a fire outbreak at No. 5 Obafemi Akere Street, off Basin Road, Ilorin, Kwara State,” Adekunle said.

He noted that firefighters arrived promptly at the scene and immediately battled the blaze, preventing it from spreading to other sections of the building.

“Through their prompt and professional intervention, the magnitude of the fire was significantly reduced, preventing it from engulfing the entire building and causing more extensive damage,” he added.

Adekunle said preliminary investigations revealed that the fire originated from a generator set that caught fire while in operation without the occupants’ knowledge.

“Preliminary investigation revealed that the fire originated from a running generator set, which caught fire without the knowledge of the occupants. The flames subsequently spread to a nearby store and a room located at the rear of the building,” he stated.

The Director of the Kwara State Fire Service, Alabi Muhammed, advised residents to exercise caution when operating generators.

He stressed the need to place generators in well-ventilated and isolated locations away from combustible materials and residential structures, while also carrying out regular maintenance and avoiding leaving them unattended for prolonged periods.