A tragic incident occurred in the Irewolede area of Ilorin, Kwara State, where a 73-year-old man named Pastor Awolola sadly lost his life due to a bush fire. It’s reported that the fire began when he set fire to an undergrowth on his farmland.
An eyewitness statement mentioned that the individual who passed away had started a small fire in a bush near farmland, located inside an unfinished building with a perimeter fence and a gated entrance.
“The fire engulfed the only exit from the premises which prevented the victim from escaping and burnt him to death,” the witness said.
Hassan Adekunle, the Head of the Media Unit at the Kwara State Fire Service, kindly confirmed the incident. He mentioned that they received a distressing call regarding a tragic event where a man sadly lost his life in a fire on his farm.
The statement reads, “Firefighters were alerted to the incident at about 11:58 am and promptly moved to the scene, where they succeeded in extinguishing the fire and preventing it from spreading to nearby properties.
“The fire spread rapidly and engulfed the only exit. In his attempt to escape, the victim tried to scale the fence but was overtaken by the flames.
“Sadly, the victim was already dead before their arrival.”