From Taiye Joseph, Ilorin
A potential disaster was averted on Friday night when the Kwara State Fire Service swiftly contained a fire outbreak at the Kwara State University of Education, Ilorin, preventing it from spreading to key academic facilities.
The incident occurred around 9:14pm when firefighters were alerted to a blaze in a building housing four offices used mainly as storage spaces. Three of the offices were affected before the arrival of the fire crew.
Confirming the incident, the Public Relations Officer of the Kwara State Fire Service, PFO Hassan Adekunle, said the prompt and coordinated response of firefighters ensured that the Biology Laboratory and other nearby buildings were saved from destruction.
“Although documents, files and journals stored in the affected offices were damaged by the fire, many important records were successfully recovered due to the timely intervention of our officers,” Adekunle said.
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Preliminary findings by the fire service indicated that the fire was suspected to have been caused by an unidentified individual who set nearby undergrowth ablaze, with the fire later spreading to the building.
Reacting to the development, the Director of the Kwara State Fire Service, CFS Alabi Muhammed, warned institutions and members of the public against indiscriminate bush and undergrowth burning, particularly within and around school environments.
“Bush burning poses serious risks to lives and public infrastructure. Institutions must ensure undergrowth is cleared safely, maintain buffer zones around buildings and report fire incidents promptly,” Muhammed advised.
He also urged educational institutions to adopt safer document storage practices and provide basic firefighting equipment to reduce losses whenever fire incidents occur.
The Kwara State Fire Service reassured residents of its continued commitment to protecting lives, public infrastructure and property across the state.
