A fire outbreak triggered by an overnight candle on Tuesday razed four rooms in the boys’ quarters of a church in Ilorin, Kwara State, prompting fresh concerns over fire safety in places of worship.
The incident occurred at about 6:18 a.m. at the Christ Celestial Church of God, Ife Oluwa, located in the Tanke area of Ilorin.
According to the Kwara State Fire Service, the blaze started after a candle left burning overnight ignited nearby combustible materials inside one of the rooms.
Spokesperson for the agency, Hassan Adekunle, said firefighters responded swiftly to the distress call and successfully contained the inferno before it spread to other sections of the church and neighbouring buildings.
“The incident involved the boys’ quarters of the church premises, where four rooms were affected by the fire.
Preliminary investigation revealed that the fire was caused by a candle left burning overnight to illuminate one of the rooms,” he said.
He added that emergency responders brought the situation under control upon arrival, preventing what could have turned into a major disaster.
Reacting to the incident, the Director of the Kwara State Fire Service, Alabi Muhammed, cautioned residents against leaving candles and other naked flames unattended, especially in enclosed spaces.
He urged the public to embrace safer lighting alternatives and ensure flammable materials are kept away from open flames.
The latest incident adds to a growing list of fire outbreaks in Ilorin, including the June 14 inferno that destroyed a containerised supermarket along Lubcon Road after a spark from a high-tension electricity line ignited the structure.
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