By Ghazali Ibrahim
An early morning fire has destroyed eight rooms and 20 shops at Alangua Compound, opposite Kulende Market in the Sango area of Ilorin, Kwara State.
The fire outbreak occurred on Wednesday, November 11, 2026, shortly after electricity was restored to the area.
Preliminary information indicated that smoke was first noticed coming from one of the rooms before the flames spread through the building.
The affected room reportedly contained large quantities of used rubber slippers and flip-flops collected by scavengers for recycling, which contributed to the rapid spread of the fire.
The Kwara State Fire Service said it received a distress call at about 5:16 a.m. and arrived at the scene 16 minutes later, but the building had already been engulfed in flames.
Firefighters battled the inferno and brought it under control at about 6:10 a.m., preventing it from spreading to adjoining buildings.
The Chief Fire Officer, CFS Alabi Muhammed, said the exact circumstances surrounding the outbreak remained under investigation.
He urged residents, traders and recycling operators to exercise caution when storing combustible materials, particularly rubber products, plastics and foam.
Muhammed also advised residents to keep such materials away from potential sources of ignition and promptly report fire outbreaks to emergency responders to prevent further destruction.
