A fire outbreak suspected to have been triggered by children playing with a cooking gas cylinder on Monday gutted parts of a residential building in Omu-Aran, Irepodun Local Government Area of Kwara State.
The incident was said to have occurred around 12:57 p.m. at Olayinka House along Ibrahim Taiwo Road, where two flats in a storey building were affected before firefighters brought the blaze under control.
According to a statement by the Public Relations Officer of the Kwara State Fire Service, Hassan Adekunle, the affected building contains four three-bedroom flats, two of which were damaged by the fire.
“The incident involved a storey building consisting of four flats of three-bedroom apartments each. The fire affected two of the flats before it was successfully brought under control by firefighters at about 13:21hrs,” he said.
He added that preliminary findings showed the fire started when minors in the house were reportedly playing with a cooking gas cylinder while their parents were away.
“It was further gathered that the fire outbreak was caused by children playing with a cooking gas cylinder while their parents were away from home,” the statement read.
Adekunle also explained that the children raised an alarm when the fire became uncontrollable and rushed downstairs for help, attracting the attention of a passerby who alerted emergency responders.
“When the fire became uncontrollable, the children ran downstairs crying for help before a passerby noticed the situation and alerted the Fire Service,” he said.
He confirmed that firefighters were able to contain the fire before it spread to the entire building, adding that no casualties or injuries were recorded.
“Thanks to the prompt response of firefighters, the remaining parts of the building were saved from total destruction. No loss of life or injuries was recorded,” he added.
Meanwhile, the Director of the Fire Service, Alabi Mohammed, urged parents and guardians to keep children away from gas cylinders, matches, and other flammable materials, warning against leaving minors unattended around cooking appliances.
He also encouraged residents to report fire outbreaks quickly to emergency services in order to minimise damage to lives and property.
