A fire outbreak has damaged parts of a residential building in Omu-Aran, Irepodun Local Government Area of Kwara State. The incident occurred on Monday, May 11, 2026, at approximately 12:57 p.m. at Olayinka House along Ibrahim Taiwo Road. According to preliminary investigations, the fire was allegedly caused by children playing with a cooking gas cylinder.
Details of the Incident
The Public Relations Officer of the Kwara State Fire Service, Hassan Adekunle, disclosed this in a statement. He said the fire affected a storey building comprising four three-bedroom flats. “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 13:21 hours,” the statement read.
Adekunle further explained that preliminary investigation revealed that the fire outbreak was caused by children playing with a cooking gas cylinder while their parents were away from home. “It was further gathered that 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.
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, as nobody sustained any injury during the incident.
Official Advice
Reacting to the incident, the Director of the Fire Service, Alabi Mohammed, advised parents and guardians to keep children away from gas cylinders, matches, and other flammable materials. He also urged residents to avoid leaving minors unattended around cooking appliances and stressed the importance of promptly reporting fire incidents to emergency agencies to reduce damage to lives and property.
