Fire guts celestial church boys’ quarters in Ilorin
A fire outbreak triggered by a candle left burning overnight gutted four rooms in the boys’ quarters of Christ Celestial Church of God Ife Oluwa, opposite UMCA Chapel along Chapel Secondary School in the Tanke area of Ilorin, in the early hours of Tuesday.
The incident occurred at about 6:18 a.m., with preliminary findings by the Kwara State Fire Service indicating that the unattended candle ignited nearby combustible materials, leading to the blaze.
Firefighters responded swiftly to the emergency and successfully contained the fire before it could spread to other parts of the church premises or neighbouring buildings, thereby minimising the extent of the damage.
Reacting to the incident, the Director of the Kwara State Fire Service, CFS Alabi Muhammed, urged residents to avoid leaving naked flames such as candles unattended, especially overnight or in enclosed spaces. He also encouraged the use of safer lighting alternatives and advised the public to keep flammable materials away from open flames to prevent similar incidents.
