One Injured As Fire Guts Residential Structures In Lagos

A male adult was reportedly injured when a fire gutted some makeshift structures in the Ikate-Elegushi area of Lagos State.

The fire incident which occurred late Sunday night was confirmed by the Director of the Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service, Margaret Adeseye, on Monday.

According to Adeseye, it was challenging to control the fire due to the involvement of 65 camp gas canisters, which posed an explosion risk.

However, following the efforts of firefighters, it was successfully contained.

She informed that fortunately, there were no reported casualties.

Investigation revealed that the fire originated from one of the rooms within shanties behind an estate before extending to nearby structures.

“At 22:50hrs a fire emergency was reported in the vicinity of Star Road, by Horizon Heights, Ikate-Elegushi, Lekki Lagos. Promptly responding to the call, firefighters from Oniru and Lekki Phase II Fire Stations of the Lagos State Fire and rescue Service arrived at the scene by 23:00hrs. The incident involved residential makeshift structures, encompassing approximately an acre of land,” Adeseye said in a statement on Monday.

“Efforts by firefighters successfully contained the fire, employing defensive firefighting tactics to prevent its spread to upscale properties and mitigate further potential threat. Notably, the fire was challenging to control due to the involvement of 65 camp gas canisters, which posed an explosion risk. Fortunately, there have been no reported casualties.

“Investigation into the cause of the fire revealed that it originated from one of the rooms within shanties behind an estate before extending to nearby structures. Collaborative efforts from the Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service, estate fire department, the Nigerian Police Force ensured a rapid and coordinated response, effectively preventing any loss of life or injuries.”

The incident happened just a week after goods worth millions of Naira were destroyed as fire gutted a sawmill at Awori bus stop, along the Lagos Abeokuta Expressway, in the Abule Egba area of the state.

On January 21, a 14-storey Mandilas building, located on Broad Street, Lagos Island, was also engulfed by fire.

According to the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), about 6,700 traders, 450 shops, 30 offices, two hotels and five restaurants were affected in the fire incident at Mandilas Building.

In October last year, the state fire service said N1.62 billion estimated value of property was lost between January 1 to October 29, 2023, due to a fire outbreak in the state.

Also during the period under review, about N9.728 billion worth of property was saved, while 1,327 fire and 154 rescue calls were received by the agency.

The agency recently said that about 251 fire-related emergency calls were received in January alone.