Lagos Records 1,952 Fire Incidents, 19 Deaths In One Year

At least 19 lives were lost while N19.52bn worth of property was destroyed in 1,952 fire disaster incidents recorded in Lagos State between 2024 and this month.

Meanwhile, the Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service managed to save assets valued at N117.12bn and rescue 450 people during the same period.

This was revealed on Wednesday by the Commissioner for Special Duties and Inter-Governmental Relations, Mr Olugbenga Oyerinde, during a ministerial press briefing in Alausa, Ikeja, marking the second anniversary of Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu’s second term in office.

Oyerinde emphasised the importance of improved fire safety practices and public awareness.

He also highlighted the challenge posed by 578 false alarms, which diverted critical resources and delayed genuine emergency responses.

Despite setbacks, the state’s fire response teams pushed forward with aggressive safety initiatives.

Over 7,800 facilities were inspected, and more than 7,000 fire safety certificates were issued to hotels, schools, fuel stations, hospitals, and other establishments.

The agency also carried out 450 public fire education campaigns, including media outreach and school-based programmes.

However, the Commissioner warned about rising threats to firefighters, including prank calls and physical attacks by hoodlums during operations.

“The Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service responded to a total of 1,952 emergency fire-related calls during the period under review,” Oyerinde stated.

“Regrettably, 578 of these were false alarms, which not only diverted vital resources but also endangered lives by delaying genuine emergency response efforts.”

He confirmed that the government is collaborating with security agencies to bring offenders to justice.

With a workforce of 932 uniformed and 30 non-uniformed personnel, the Fire and Rescue Service did not recruit new staff in 2024. Still, staff welfare was improved through increased allowances, and two new fire stations were commissioned to strengthen emergency response capacity.