An early morning fire on Tuesday damaged part of a church in Ilorin, the capital of Kwara State. This happened after a candle left burning overnight ignited items in the boys’ quarters of the church.
The PUNCH learned that the fire started around 06:18 a.m. at the Christ Celestial Church of God, Ife Oluwa, located in the Tanke area of Ilorin. The fire affected four rooms before firefighters arrived and controlled the situation.
Hassan Adekunle, the spokesperson for the Kwara State Fire Service, said firefighters were sent to the scene right away. They managed to stop the fire from spreading to other parts of the church and nearby buildings.
Hassan said that an initial investigation showed that the fire was caused by a candle that was not put out. He said, "On Tuesday, 23rd June 2026, at about 06:18 a.m., the Kwara State Fire Service responded to a fire outbreak at Christ Celestial Church of God Ife Oluwa, located opposite UMCA Chapel, along Chapel Secondary School, Tanke Area, Ilorin, Kwara State.
The incident involved the boys’ quarters of the church premises, where four (4) rooms were affected by the fire," he added.
He explained that the fire started because a candle was left burning overnight. The candle flame touched some flammable materials in the room.
"Preliminary investigation revealed that the fire was caused by a candle left burning overnight to illuminate one of the rooms. The candle flame ignited nearby combustible materials, which led to the fire outbreak," Hassan said.
He also mentioned that firefighters moved quickly when they got there and controlled the fire before it got worse.
"Upon arrival, firefighters swiftly engaged the inferno and successfully contained it, preventing further spread to other parts of the church premises and surrounding structures," he stated.
The Director of the Kwara State Fire Service, Alabi Muhammed, spoke about the incident. He warned people against using open flames in closed or unattended areas. He stressed the need for fire safety.
He said, "Members of the public should avoid leaving naked flames such as candles unattended, especially overnight or in enclosed spaces."
"People are advised to adopt safer alternative lighting sources and ensure that combustible materials are kept far away from open flames," he added.
The fire service promised to keep protecting lives and property through quick emergency responses and ongoing public education on fire prevention.
This incident adds to a number of recent fire outbreaks in Ilorin. Just on June 14, a fire destroyed a containerised supermarket along Lubcon Road in the Mandate Area after a spark from a high-tension electricity line.
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