A fire outbreak in Ilorin, Kwara State, on Thursday destroyed property worth millions of naira in a residential building in the Asa Dam area of the city.

The incident occurred at about 3:56pm at a building near Ile-Anu Wofem Church, behind the Industrial Training Fund (ITF), Asa Dam area, Ilorin.

The spokesperson for the Kwara State Fire Service, Hakeem Adekunle, who confirmed the incident, said the fire was suspected to have been caused by a power surge.

He said the affected building comprised three three-bedroom flats and a room-and-parlour self-contained apartment, adding that the fire affected three bedrooms.

According to him, the Fire Service received a late call, allowing the fire to gain significant ground before firefighters arrived at the scene.

"Due to the late call to the Fire Service, the fire had already gained significant ground before the arrival of the firefighters. However, through their prompt and professional intervention, the firefighters successfully contained the inferno and saved the adjoining block of room-and-parlour self-contained apartments from being consumed by the fire," he said.

Adekunle added that preliminary investigations indicated that the fire was suspected to have been caused by a power surge, which ignited combustible materials within the affected section of the building.

The Chief Fire Officer of the Kwara State Fire Service, Alabi Muhammed, advised residents to ensure that their electrical installations are regularly inspected and maintained by qualified personnel.

He also urged members of the public to contact the Fire Service immediately whenever they notice a fire, stressing that early notification gives firefighters a better chance of containing an outbreak before it escalates.