A five-year-old boy inadvertently set a duplex alight while playing with matchsticks on Monday in Ilorin, Kwara State.
The incident took place on Abiodun Adebiyi Close, off Yidi Road, in the Irewolede area of the Ilorin West Local Government.
One room in the five-bedroom duplex was completely destroyed, resulting in significant property damage before firefighters from the Kwara State Fire Service arrived to prevent further spread of the flames.
A witness, Lanre Abdulrazaq, who was nearby at the time, recounted the moment the fire ignited.
“We noticed thick smoke billowing from the building and raised the alarm to alert others for a rescue operation.
“At first, we were unsure what had caused it, but eventually, the fire service arrived and managed to control the blaze,” he said.
The spokesman for the Kwara State Fire Service, Hassan Adekunle, confirmed that the fire was triggered by the five-year-old boy accidentally dropping a lit matchstick onto combustible material, igniting the flames.
“Initial investigations revealed that the fire began when the child, playing with matches, unknowingly dropped a lit stick onto flammable material,” Adekunle explained.
The fire erupted at 5:32 pm on Monday, February 3, 2025.
“Our firefighters reacted promptly and arrived at the scene to find one room fully engulfed in flames.
“Using their expertise and technical skills, the team worked diligently to contain the fire, successfully preventing it from spreading further. Thanks to their swift response, only one room was affected,” he added.
The Director of the Kwara State Fire Service, Prince Falade John, praised the firefighters for their swift and strategic action.
He urged the public to prioritise fire safety, advising parents to keep matches out of children’s reach and warning that “a single matchstick can obliterate an entire building.”
Adekunle reiterated the fire service’s commitment to safeguarding lives and property through professionalism and rapid emergency response.
