A fire outbreak in the early hours of Tuesday destroyed a laundry shop attached to an eight-room residential building in the Tanke area of Ilorin, Kwara State, while all occupants escaped without injuries.
The incident occurred at Assu-Luxury Quarters, off University Road, at about 3:58 a.m. Emergency responders from the Kwara State Fire Service quickly arrived at the scene and prevented the flames from spreading to the residential apartments and nearby structures.
The spokesman for the Kwara State Fire Service, Hassan Adekunle, confirmed the incident in a statement, noting that only the laundry section of the building was affected.
“The incident involved a building comprising eight rooms and a laundry shop, where the laundry shop was affected by the fire.
“Firefighters promptly mobilised to the scene and successfully brought the fire under control at about 04:25hrs, preventing it from spreading to the residential apartments and nearby properties.
“The crew concluded the operation and left the scene at about 04:42hrs,” he said.
Initial findings by the fire service indicate that the blaze may have resulted from an electrical surge linked to a pressing iron believed to have been left switched on for a prolonged period. However, officials said investigations are still underway.
“Preliminary investigation revealed that the fire was suspected to have been caused by a power surge, possibly from one of the pressing irons that had been left powered for a long period.
“However, further investigation is still ongoing to ascertain the remote cause of the incident,” Hassan added.
Following the incident, the Director of the Kwara State Fire Service, Alabi Muhammed, urged business operators, especially those running laundry services, to observe proper electrical safety measures.
“Business owners, especially those operating laundry services, should ensure that electrical appliances are switched off immediately after use and never left unattended while powered,” he advised.
He also encouraged routine inspection of electrical installations, the use of quality electrical appliances and the installation of surge protection devices to minimise the risk of similar incidents.
The fire service reaffirmed its commitment to safeguarding lives and property through rapid emergency response and continuous public education on fire prevention.
