TWO separate fire outbreaks have razed production facilities in Ilorin, Kwara State, destroying goods and equipment worth millions of naira within seven hours.
The first incident occurred late Friday at Kunzol Multi-Sector Nigeria Limited, a yam flour and crunchy garri processing factory in the Kilanko–Agbonka area of Ilorin South Local Government.
It was gathered that the fire started around 10:10 pm after heat remnants from a furnace used during production ignited combustible materials in the facility.
Confirming the incident in a statement on Saturday, November 15, the Head of Media and Publicity of the Kwara State Fire Service, Hassan Hakeem Adekunle, said firefighters arrived to find the factory’s entire production section already engulfed in flames.
“Preliminary investigation revealed that the fire was triggered by remnants of unquenched fire, which ignited combustible materials in proximity, leading to rapid escalation,” the statement quoted him as saying.
Adekunle added that operatives were able to stop the blaze from spreading to nearby buildings, preventing a wider industrial disaster.
The Director of the Fire Service, Prince Falade John, warned factory owners against improper shutdown of heat sources at the close of work, calling negligence with fire remnants a major cause of avoidable industrial incidents.
A second fire occurred in the early hours of Saturday, November 15, at Unik AJ Prints, a printing shop located along Opomalu Road in Ilorin East Local Government.
The fire, which eyewitnesses said began around 3:15 am, gutted a storey building housing printing machines, inverter units and other production materials.
Adekunle said firefighters responded swiftly despite the difficult hour and were able to stop the flames from spreading to other buildings in the congested area.
Preliminary reports indicated that a spark from the facility’s inverter system ignited nearby flammable materials.
Commenting on the incident, Prince Falade advised businesses using solar and inverter systems to install them in isolated, fire-protected spaces.
He urged residents and business owners to adopt fire-retardant materials and ensure proper installation of alternative power systems.
The Kwara State Fire Service reaffirmed its commitment to public safety and prompt emergency response across the state.
Nurudeen Akewushola is an investigative reporter and fact-checker with The ICIR. He believes courageous in-depth investigative reporting is the key to social justice, accountability and good governance in society. You can reach him via nyahaya@icirnigeria.org and @NurudeenAkewus1 on Twitter.