The Kwara State Fire Service said it saved six shops and goods worth N68.5million in the early morning fire which occurred at the Basin Road area, Ilorin, the state capital, on Saturday.

The fire, which started around 2.06am at No. 48 Basin Road, opposite CAC Church, in the Ilorin South Local Government Area of the state, engulfed a block of eight shops.

The cause of the fire was a power surge, according to a statement by the service's Head of Media and Publicity, Hassan Adekunle.

Adekunle, however, said only two out of the eight shops were destroyed due to the quick intervention of the firemen, adding that property worth N4.6million was lost to the inferno.

“The fire crew promptly departed the station and, upon arrival at the scene, encountered a fierce blaze engulfing a block of eight shops, resulting in damage to two of them,” he said.

He said the firemen demonstrated remarkable skill and successfully brought the inferno under control by 2:20am.

“Subsequent investigation identified the cause of the incident as a power surge”, he said.

They added that the Director of the State Fire Service, Falade John, advised members of the public to switch off electrical appliances when not in use.