The Kwara State Fire Service on Thursday saved a middle-aged nursing mother and her child from being killed in an inferno at Awolowo in the Tanke area of Ilorin South Local Government.
City Round gathered that the woman and her one-year-old child were fast asleep when their residence was engulfed in fire but were woken up by the noise of sympathisers who noticed that smoke was ooz out of the house.
However, a sympathiser named Mr Owolabi, who alerted other residents in the area, also informed the state fire service about the inferno.
A statement by the Principal Fire Officer and Head of Media and Publicity of the Service, Hassan Adekunle, said that they received an alert on the fire incident at about 1.45 pm on Thursday.
“On Thursday, March 20th, 2025, at about 13:44 hours, the Kwara State Fire Service received an emergency alert regarding a fire outbreak at No. 8 Aiyegbede Street, Awolowo, Tanke, Ilorin.
“The fire crew responded immediately and swiftly commenced firefighting operations upon arrival. The affected structure was a two-flat residential building consisting of a three-bedroom flat and a two-bedroom flat. Fortunately, only the sitting room of the two-bedroom flat sustained fire damage.
“Preliminary investigation revealed that the fire was first noticed by Mr Owolabi, who promptly alerted other residents. Thanks to their quick response, a mother and her child, who were asleep at the time, were rescued unharmed. The incident was traced to a power surge in the area,” the statement said.
City Round gathered that the fire destroyed furniture, electronics and decorations in the sitting room and dining room
The Director of the Kwara State Fire Service, Prince Falade John, sympathised with the affected occupants of the building.
Falade also stressed the importance of fire safety precautions in homes, shops, and other areas of commercial activities at all times.
He commended the residents for their bravery in assisting the victims and encouraged members of the public to always look out for one another in times of emergency.
