The Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service has rescued two adult men from a fire that engulfed an eight-room bungalow at Onitire Road, Itire, Lagos State, with one of them sustaining burn injuries.
In a statement on Tuesday signed by Fadairo Maria, Senior Public Affairs Officer of the Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service, the agency said the 42-year-old man was injured while attempting to rescue a 75-year-old wheelchair user from the burning building.
“The Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service has successfully contained a fire outbreak at 43 Onitire Road, Smith Bus Stop, Itire, Lagos, rescuing two adult males, one of whom sustained burn injuries,” the statement read.
According to the statement, the emergency call was received at approximately 9.10pm, while firefighters arrived at the scene at 9.35pm and immediately commenced firefighting and rescue operations.
“The fire involved an eight-room bungalow and extended to a three-bedroom flat on the upper floor of an adjoining two-storey residential 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 read.
The agency said firefighters rescued the 75-year-old man alive from the bungalow, while the 42-year-old man who sustained burn injuries during his rescue attempt was taken to Gbagada General Hospital by officials of the Lagos State Ambulance Service for medical attention.
“During the operation, firefighters rescued a 75-year-old man alive from the bungalow. A 42-year-old man, who sustained burn injuries in his earlier bid to rescue the wheel-chair ridden aged man, was also rescued and transported to Gbagada General Hospital by officials of the Lagos State Ambulance Service (LASAMBUS) for medical attention,” the statement read.
Firefighters from the Isolo, Sari and Bolade fire stations responded to the incident, with support from the Federal Fire Service, Ojuelegba. The Lagos Response Unit, LASAMBUS, the Nigeria Police Force, Itire Division, and the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority also attended the scene.
The agency said the fire was successfully brought under control, while the cause remained under investigation.
“Preliminary assessment suggests that negligence resulting to an electrical surge may have caused the incident; however, the exact cause remains subject to further determination,” the statement read.
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.
Residents were also advised to switch off electrical appliances when not in use and report fire emergencies through the toll-free lines 112 or 767, or the Lagos Fire hotline, 08033235891.