A 42-year-old man on Monday night sustained burn injuries during a daring rescue of a 75-year-old wheelchair-bound grandfather from a fire outbreak at Onitire Road, Itire area of Lagos.
In a Tuesday statement sent to Daily Sun, the Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service confirmed the incident which occurred at 43 Onitire Road, Smith Bus Stop, Itire.
According to the service, the fire incident involved an eight-room bungalow which extended to a three-bedroom flat on the upper floor of an adjoining two-storey residential building.
In the statement signed by its Senior Public Affairs Officer, Maria Fadairo, the service said the emergency call was received at approximately 9:10 p.m., while firefighters arrived at 9:35 p.m. and immediately commenced firefighting and rescue operations.
She said the bungalow and its contents were severely damaged, while the affected section of the two-storey building sustained minor damage.
She further disclosed that during the operation, firefighters rescued the 75-year-old man alive from the bungalow.
The 42-year-old man, who had sustained burns in his earlier bid to rescue the aged man, was also rescued and transported to Gbagada General Hospital by officials of the Lagos State Ambulance Service (LASAMBUS) for medical attention.
Fadairo said the firefighting operation was carried out by personnel from Isolo, Sari and Bolade fire stations of the service, with support from the Federal Fire Service, Ojuelegba.
The Lagos Response Unit, LASAMBUS, the Nigeria Police Force from Itire Division and the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA) were also in attendance.
Fadairo explained that the fire was successfully brought under control with the combined efforts of the various services.
The service spokesperson said preliminary assessment suggests that negligence resulting in an electrical surge may have caused the incident, though the exact cause remains subject to further determination.
The Controller-General of the Service, Margaret Abimbola Adeseye, urged residents to ensure electrical installations are properly maintained, avoid overloading sockets, and engage qualified electricians to inspect and repair faulty systems.
Residents were also advised to switch off electrical appliances when not in use and promptly report fire emergencies through toll-free lines 112 or 767, or the Lagos Fire hotline 08033235891.