Fire engulfs bungalow in Lagos, one man injured

The Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service has saved two men from a fire that destroyed an eight-room bungalow on Onitire Road, Itire, Lagos State. One of the men got burned while trying to rescue a 75-year-old man in a wheelchair from the fire.

In a statement on Tuesday, Fadairo Maria, the Senior Public Affairs Officer of the Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service, said the 42-year-old man was hurt during the rescue. The statement said, "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 emergency call came in at about 9.10pm. Firefighters arrived at the scene by 9.35pm and quickly started fighting the fire and rescuing people.

The fire affected an eight-room bungalow and spread to a three-bedroom flat on the upper floor of a nearby two-storey building. The bungalow and its contents were heavily damaged. The section of the two-storey building that got affected had minor damage.

Firefighters managed to rescue the 75-year-old man from the burning bungalow. The 42-year-old man who got burned during his rescue attempt was taken to Gbagada General Hospital by the Lagos State Ambulance Service for treatment. The statement said, "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 wheelchair-ridden aged man, was also rescued and transported to Gbagada General Hospital by officials of the Lagos State Ambulance Service (LASAMBUS) for medical attention."

Firefighters from Isolo, Sari, and Bolade fire stations responded to the fire. The Federal Fire Service from Ojuelegba also helped. The Lagos Response Unit, LASAMBUS, the Nigeria Police Force from Itire Division, and the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority were also present at the scene.

The fire was put out successfully, but the cause is still under investigation. The statement mentioned, "Preliminary assessment suggests that negligence resulting from an electrical surge may have caused the incident; however, the exact cause remains subject to further determination."

Margaret Abimbola Adeseye, the Controller-General of the Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service, urged people to take care of their electrical systems. She advised residents to avoid overloading sockets and to hire qualified electricians to check and fix faulty electrical systems.

Residents should also turn off electrical appliances when not in use. In case of fire emergencies, they can call the toll-free lines 112 or 767, or the Lagos Fire hotline, 08033235891.