A late-night fire outbreak at the Kwara State University of Education, Ilorin, was swiftly contained by men of the State Fire Service, preventing the incident from escalating into a major disaster.

The fire, which was said to have occurred around 9:14 pm on Friday, January 30, 2026, affected a building housing four offices used as storage facilities, with three of the offices damaged by the blaze.

But due to the prompt intervention by firefighters, the University’s Biology Laboratory and other adjoining buildings were successfully protected, according to a statement by the spokesman of the Kwara State Fire Service, PFO Hassan Adekunle.

Although documents, files and academic journals were destroyed in the fire, several vital records were recovered due to the timely intervention of the fire crew.

Preliminary findings suggested that the incident might have been caused by an unidentified individual who set nearby undergrowth on fire, which later spread to the building.

Reacting to the incident, the Director of the Kwara State Fire Service, CFS Alabi Muhammed, warned institutions and residents against indiscriminate bush and undergrowth burning, particularly within and around school premises.

“Indiscriminate burning of undergrowth poses serious risks to lives and public property. Institutions must ensure that vegetation around buildings is cleared in a safe manner and buffer zones are maintained to prevent fire spread,” Muhammed said.

He also urged schools and other public institutions to store sensitive documents properly and provide basic firefighting equipment to reduce losses when fire incidents occur, adding that early reporting of fire outbreaks remains crucial to effective response.

The Kwara State Fire Service, however, reaffirmed its commitment to protecting lives, public infrastructure and property across the state.