A morning fire that burned a residential building in Ilorin, Kwara State’s capital, on Saturday injured an 86-year-old man.
Hassan Adekunle, spokesperson for the Kwara State Fire Service, confirmed this in a statement on Saturday.
Adekunle noted that the fire started at about noon when the octogenarian, who was reportedly cooking, stepped out to attend to someone but returned to the sight of the fire.
One room in the 12-room building located at Afolayan Street in the state capital was said to have been destroyed in the fire alongside some properties.
Adekunle narrated, “Upon arrival, they found a 12-room building with only one room affected, containing belongings and personal items that were lost to the inferno. The firefighters showcased their expertise, in containing the fire and preventing further damage to adjacent buildings.
“Investigations revealed that an 86-year-old occupant had been cooking and momentarily stepped out to attend to someone. Upon returning, he discovered his apartment was on fire.
“In a state of distress, he re-entered the burning apartment, possibly to retrieve belongings, and suffered injuries, including burns to the hair on his head. The injured man was promptly taken to the nearest hospital to receive treatment for his injuries.”
The spokesperson however urged residents of the state to be fire safety conscious while commiserating with the victim.
“The Director of the Kwara State Fire Service, Prince Falade John, expressed sympathy for the octogenarian’s injuries and emphasised the importance of fire safety awareness, urging the public to remain vigilant and take necessary precautions to prevent such incidents,” Adekunle said.
On Friday that a resident’s failure to properly extinguish a charcoal fire used for cooking on Thursday night resulted in a fire that engulfed a 40-room flat at the Ile Muse compound, off Emir’s Road in Ilorin, Kwara State.
It was gathered that 9 of the 40 rooms at No. E143, Ile Muse, off Emir’s road, Ilorin in Ilorin West Local Government Area of Kwara were consumed by the inferno that engulfed the building early on Friday.
Eye witness account corroborated by the report of the state fire service said that the fire incident started in the wee hours of Friday and was caused by an unextinguished fire from Charcoal left in the night by one of the residents after cooking her meals.