A newborn baby and its parents have escaped death after a fire engulfed their apartment and damaged several buildings and businesses in Oloje Phase 2, Ilorin, Kwara State.
The fire broke out in the early hours of Tuesday on Lawyer Lambo Street, affecting two buildings containing four-bedroom flats each, as well as a separate room-and-parlour apartment.
The Kwara State Fire Service said it received a distress call about the incident at 2:41 am and immediately dispatched personnel to the scene.
In a statement issued by its Public Relations Officer, Hassan Adekunle, the agency confirmed that the family, which had recently welcomed a baby, was rescued by residents in the neighbourhood.
“The room-and-parlour self-contained apartment was severely affected by the fire. Fortunately, the occupants, who had recently welcomed a newborn baby, were rescued by members of the community,” the statement said.
The inferno also destroyed a vehicle, a vulcanising workshop and parts of another residential building. An adjoining travel and tours office equally sustained damage.
According to the fire service, three vehicles were parked in one of the affected flats when the fire started. While one was completely burnt, firefighters successfully saved the other two.
The agency added that another four-bedroom flat suffered damage, particularly in the kitchen, where electrical appliances, including a freezer, were affected. The building’s solar power system was also damaged.
The travel and tours office reportedly lost its solar power installation, four tubular batteries and other electrical equipment.
Giving a preliminary account of the incident, the fire service attributed the outbreak to the collapse of a concrete pole carrying a 33-kilovolt electricity transmission line.
“Preliminary findings indicate that the incident resulted from the collapse of a concrete pole supporting a 33kV electricity transmission line,” the statement noted.
It explained that the fallen power line landed on the vehicle that was eventually destroyed, with a spark reportedly igniting its tyre and causing the fire to spread rapidly.
The fallen line also created an electrical hazard for emergency responders, prompting the fire service to contact the Ibadan Electricity Distribution Company to disconnect power to the affected area.
The agency said the shutdown was necessary to protect firefighters and enable them to tackle the blaze safely.
Reacting to the incident, the Chief Fire Officer, Alabi Muhammed, sympathised with residents, property owners and business operators affected by the fire.
He warned residents against erecting buildings beneath high-tension electricity lines and urged developers to comply with prescribed safety distances around electricity infrastructure.
The fire service also advised residents to report fallen electricity poles, damaged transmission lines and exposed wires to the relevant authorities immediately.
It cautioned the public against touching fallen wires or objects in contact with them, stressing the need for cooperation between communities and emergency responders during emergencies.
The incident occurred less than a day after another fire destroyed a building containing three-bedroom flats in Kangile Village, Ilorin South Local Government Area, on Monday.
