Fire Damages Two-Storey Building In Lagos

Firefighters rescued two men from a blaze that razed an eight-room bungalow and damaged part of an adjoining two-storey residential building in the Itire area of Lagos State. The incident occurred at 43 Onitire Road, Smith Bus Stop, Itire, on Tuesday night, according to the Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service. One of the rescued men, aged 42, sustained burn injuries while attempting to rescue a 75-year-old wheelchair-bound man trapped in the bungalow. Officials from the Lagos State Ambulance Service (LASAMBUS) evacuated the injured man to Gbagada General Hospital for medical treatment. In a statement, the Fire and Rescue Service said it received an emergency call at about 9:10 pm and deployed firefighters to the scene. The rescue team arrived at about 9:35 pm and began firefighting and rescue operations immediately. According to the agency, the fire severely damaged the bungalow and its contents before spreading to a three-bedroom flat on the upper floor of the adjoining two-storey building. “The bungalow and its contents were severely damaged by the fire, while the affected section of the two-storey building and its contents sustained minor damage,” the statement said. The agency confirmed that the 75-year-old man was rescued alive from the bungalow, alongside the younger man who suffered burns during the rescue attempt. Firefighters eventually brought the blaze under control. A preliminary assessment by the agency suggested that negligence leading to an electrical surge might have triggered the fire. However, it said the exact cause remains subject to further investigation. The Controller-General of the Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service, Margaret Abimbola Adeseye, urged residents to maintain their electrical installations, avoid overloading sockets and engage qualified electricians to inspect and repair faulty electrical systems. She also advised residents to switch off electrical appliances when not in use and promptly report fire emergencies through the toll-free emergency lines 112 and 767 or the Lagos Fire Service hotline. Personnel from the Isolo, Sari and Bolade fire stations participated in the operation, with support from the Federal Fire Service, Ojuelegba. Other agencies at the scene included the Lagos Response Unit, LASAMBUS, the Nigeria Police Force from Itire Division, and the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA).