A fire broke out on Friday at Ejiba Street, off Kwara Stadium Road, in the Ilorin West Local Government Area (LGA) of Kwara State, destroying 15 rooms in a multi-storey building.

The blaze, attributed to negligent use of a gas cooker, marked the second fire incident in Ilorin—the state capital—investigated by the Kwara State Fire Service within a week.

A statement by Hassan Adekunle, a Principal Fire Officer and Head of Media and Publicity at the state’s fire service, revealed that the agency received an emergency call at approximately 8:05pm on Friday, 7 March 2025, reporting the fire at Ejiba Road, near Ejiba Bridge.

Upon arrival, firefighters discovered several rooms engulfed in flames. Out of the 104 rooms in the building, 89 were saved, while 15 sustained significant damage from the inferno. The fire crew acted swiftly to contain the blaze and minimise further destruction.

“Preliminary investigations revealed that the fire was caused by a gas cooker left unattended.”

It would be recalled that a sparkling fire emanating from a gas cooker on Wednesday destroyed seven rooms in the Oke-Apomu area of the Ilorin West LG of the state.

The fire, which occurred at number 90, Koro compound, Oke-Apomu area, Ilorin, affected a one-story building containing 20 rooms, seven of which were completely burnt.

The Director of the Kwara State Fire Service, Prince Falade John, reacting to the incident, urged the public to prioritize safety at all times.

“He emphasised that this was the second fire incident within a week linked to negligence in handling gas cookers.

“He strongly warned against using gas cookers without strict attention.

“The Kwara State Fire Service remains committed to safeguarding lives and property through proactive fire prevention and rapid emergency response,” the statement said.