A building comprising a two-bedroom flat and seven shops was partially gutted by an early morning fire outbreak in Ilorin, the Kwara State capital.

The incident occurred at about 4:56 a.m. on Sunday at No. 28 Ijoro Street, off Asa-Dam Road, where one of the shops in the building was affected before firefighters contained the blaze.

The Kwara State Fire Service disclosed this in a statement issued on Sunday by its Public Relations Officer, Hassan Adekunle.

"The incident involved a building comprising a two-bedroom flat and seven shops, out of which one shop was affected by the fire," the statement read.

"Firefighters promptly arrived at the scene and successfully contained the fire, preventing it from spreading to other shops and the residential apartment.

"Items affected by the fire included grinding machines, foodstuffs, and other valuable materials within the affected shop."

According to the agency, preliminary investigation indicated that the fire was caused by a power surge, which ignited combustible materials in the shop.

Reacting, the Director of the Fire Service, Alabi Muhammed, urged residents and business owners to adopt safety measures to prevent similar incidents.

"Residents and shop owners should ensure the installation of surge protectors, avoid overloading electrical outlets, and conduct regular checks on electrical systems," he said.

He also emphasised the importance of having portable fire extinguishers readily available to tackle fires at an early stage.

The agency reaffirmed its commitment to safeguarding lives and property across the state.

The incident adds to a series of recent fire outbreaks in Ilorin. Last week, a vehicle was reportedly gutted by fire at E-Phoenix Hotel in Ilorin South Local Government Area, while a shop in a multi-purpose building along Pakata Road in the Ita-Ogunbo area was affected by fire in April.