The incident occurred around 5:08 p.m. at No. 38 Aduagbemi Street, behind Uniform Company, off Asa Dam Road in the Ilorin metropolis, according to the Kwara State Fire Service.
Fire service spokesperson Hassan Adekunle said only one room was affected before the blaze was contained. He explained that the fire started when the child ignited pieces of paper with a lighter. The flames then spread to nearby flammable items in the room.
By the time neighbours noticed and raised an alarm, the fire had already grown. Firefighters who arrived at the scene were able to stop it from spreading further to other rooms and nearby buildings.
The Director of the State Fire Service, Alabi Muhammed, urged parents and guardians to keep lighters, matches, and other fire sources away from children. He also stressed the need for constant supervision and basic fire safety awareness in homes.
He added that residents should install basic fire safety equipment and report fire incidents immediately to enable faster response and reduce damage.
