Fire guts residential buildings, shops as property worth N38.8m destroyed  in Ilorin

It was a black Saturday for the landlords and shop owners at Ita-kure area of Ilorin, Kwara State as they lost property worth N38.8m to fire outbreak which occurred around 12 midnight

The fire, It was gathered,  started in  a paint shop located  in the area.

According to the Kwara State Fire service spokesperson, Hassan Adekunle, two things led to the destruction recorded by the fire incidence,  the chemical products in the paint shop and late response of the members of the community to call the fire service.

He noted that the operatives were be able to save property estimated at  N52.5m while N38.8m property were destroyed.

Narrating the incident, Adekunle said, “At about 12:31hrs of Today, 8th April, 2023, a paint shop located around Balogun Afin, at Ita-Kure Area of Ilorin Kwara State, suddenly caught fire and destroyed two residential buildings built beside it: a storey building, and a bungalow.

“Aside from the two residential buildings destroyed by the ravaging fire, five other shops in the vicinity were also affected. Firemen were able to extinguish the fire and prevent it from escalating to the adjacent buildings.

“The leading fire officer of the firemen’s crew attributed the extent of the damages caused by the inferno into two things: firstly, the chemical nature of the burning materials, and the other one was due to the late calling by the sympathisers.

“The Director of Kwara State Fire Service, Prince Falade John Olumuyiwa, urged the citizens to always cultivate the habit of switching off their electrical appliances even before the bedtime, as this would help them to prevent the chances of fire outbreaks in their various homes, and also help them to drastically reduce it.”