Five shops were razed and part of a storey building badly damaged when a fierce fire swept through a commercial block at Ita-Amodu, Niger Junction, in Ilorin, Kwara State.

The blaze, which broke out in a mixed-use building housing three-bedroom flats and 10 shops, quickly engulfed half of the commercial section. By the time firefighters brought the situation under control, five shops and the building’s parapet had been destroyed.

According to the Kwara State Fire Service, highly combustible materials stored in some of the affected shops fuelled the intensity of the inferno. The shops reportedly stocked foam and upholstery materials used in the production of mattresses and sofas, items known to burn rapidly and emit intense heat and thick smoke.

In a statement, the service’s Public Relations Officer, Hassan Adekunle, explained that the first fire engine arrived to meet a fully developed blaze already overwhelming the structure. Assessing the scale of the incident, the command immediately deployed a second appliance to reinforce the operation and prevent the flames from spreading to nearby buildings.

Firefighters battled the inferno for several tense minutes, working to contain it within the affected block. Their efforts succeeded in stopping the fire from leaping to adjoining properties in the densely built-up area. The fire was eventually brought under control a little over 30 minutes after the alarm was raised.

Personnel of the Federal Fire Service joined the Kwara team at the scene, providing additional manpower and equipment. The state fire service said the joint operation was crucial in limiting the damage and averting what could have become a much larger disaster in the busy commercial neighbourhood.

The cause of the fire is still under investigation. No fatalities had been confirmed, but traders counted heavy losses as they picked through the charred remains of their shops.

Kwara State Chief Fire Officer, Alabi Muhammed, commended both state and federal firefighters for their swift response and coordination. He urged business owners, especially those dealing in foam, upholstery and other flammable goods, to install basic firefighting equipment, observe strict safety standards and ensure proper storage of combustible materials to reduce the risk of similar incidents.