A fire outbreak in Ilorin, Kwara State on Tuesday destroyed 16 rooms, seven shops and property worth millions of naira.
The incident occurred at Ita-Amodu area, Old Yidi Road when a lorry carrying mattresses had contact with a high-tension electric cable which ignoted the fire.
LEADERSHIP gathered that the highly flammable nature of mattresses and the explosion of a nearby step-down transformer aided the widespread fire to the adjacent shops and building.
Spokesman of Kwara State Fire Service, Hassan Adekunle confirmed the incident.
He said: “On Tuesday, December 2, 2024, at 10:16 hours, the Kwara State Fire Service swiftly responded to a distress call reporting a fire outbreak at Ile Bilewu, Alabi-Owo Junction, Ita-Amodu area, Ilorin. The fire crew promptly mobilised and departed the station to address the emergency.
“Upon arrival, we encountered a massive inferno originating from a lorry overloaded with mattresses. The fire spread from the lorry to a nearby building containing 47 rooms and 19 shops.
Undeterred by the intensity of the blaze, Adekunle said courageous firefighters acted swiftly to contain the fire and prevent further destruction.
“Our efforts successfully saved 12 shops and 31 rooms, while 7 shops and 16 rooms were unfortunately affected.”
He said investigations revealed that the fire originated from a lorry overloaded with mattresses.
“The lorry had collided with a high-tension wire, causing a spark that ignited the mattresses. Once the mattresses caught fire, the blaze spread rapidly from the lorry to the nearby building, which housed 47 rooms and 19 shops.
“The highly flammable nature of the mattresses contributed to the swift spread of the fire,” he added.
Additionally, Adekunle said the explosion of a nearby step-down transformer intensified the situation, further aiding the rapid spread of the fire to the adjacent shops and rooms.
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