A raging fire erupted in the Ita-Amodu area of Ilorin, Kwara State, after an overloaded truck carrying mattresses collided with a high-tension electricity wire, sending flames into a nearby building and destroying seven shops and 16 rooms.
The incident occurred on Tuesday, December 3, 2024, at Ile Bilewu, Alabi-Owo Junction, with the blaze reportedly spreading rapidly after the truck came into contact with the power line.
The Kwara State Fire Service confirmed that the fire began from the overloaded lorry before spreading to a nearby building containing 47 rooms and 19 shops.
Hassan Adekunle, the service’s Head of Media and Publicity, said firefighters arrived to find what he described as a “massive inferno originating from a lorry overloaded with mattresses.”
According to the Fire Service, the collision caused a spark that ignited the mattresses. Their highly flammable nature then helped the flames spread rapidly from the truck to the adjoining building.
The situation was further worsened when a nearby step-down transformer exploded, intensifying the fire and helping it spread to additional shops and rooms.
Despite the scale of the blaze, firefighters managed to prevent an even larger disaster. The Fire Service said its intervention saved 12 shops and 31 rooms, while seven shops and 16 rooms were unfortunately affected.
Adekunle also acknowledged the assistance provided by the Federal Fire Service during the operation. The Nigeria Police Force was also credited with protecting firefighters after hoodlums reportedly attempted to disrupt the firefighting operation.
The incident left traders and occupants counting their losses, while the destruction highlighted the dangers posed by overloaded vehicles travelling beneath high-tension electricity infrastructure.
The Director of the Kwara State Fire Service, Prince Falade John, subsequently stressed the need for greater attention to safety measures to prevent similar incidents.
The latest fire adds to a series of serious fire incidents recorded across Ilorin, with electrical infrastructure, combustible materials and delayed emergency intervention repeatedly emerging as major concerns.
Authorities continue to urge residents, traders and business owners to take fire prevention seriously and avoid practices that could place lives and property at unnecessary risk.
