Lagos Fire Service Responds to 1,324 Emergencies in Nine Months

The Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service responded to 1,324 emergency incidents from January to September. Fire calls made up 1,135 of these cases.

The agency shared this in its third-quarter activity report. Maria Fadairo, the spokesperson, posted highlights of the report on Facebook on Thursday.

The report mentioned 79 rescue calls, 100 salvage operations, nine building collapses, and one gas explosion among the emergencies dealt with during this time.

According to Ms Fadairo, 210 people were rescued, and 65 suspected corpses were found at emergency sites. The service also recorded 341 false emergency calls.

Margaret Adeseye, the Controller-General of the service, pointed out that these figures show the need for residents to be more careful as the dry season comes.

"The statistics show the importance of being aware, reporting emergencies quickly, and following fire safety rules across the State," she said.

Ms Adeseye also warned that false emergency calls can slow down firefighters who are responding to real emergencies.

The service estimated that property worth N79.44 billion was saved over the nine months, while losses were around N13.24 billion. The total value of affected property was about N92.68 billion.

January Had the Most Incidents

January had the highest number of emergency incidents, with 203 cases, while March followed with 201. September had the fewest incidents, with only 94.

March had the most fire calls at 176, with January close behind at 173. September recorded the least with 80.

With the dry season coming, Ms Adeseye advised residents to avoid careless burning and be careful when storing or using flammable materials.

She also urged people to turn off electrical appliances when not in use, avoid overloading sockets, and check that fire extinguishers work properly.

Property owners need to keep escape routes and access points clear so firefighters can reach buildings during emergencies. She urged residents to report fires quickly and work with emergency responders at the scenes.

150 More Firefighters Approved

These numbers come as the Lagos government works to improve its emergency response. In January, the government approved hiring 150 more firefighters.

Lagos has seen significant fire incidents this year. In January, firefighters managed a warehouse fire in the Amuwo-Odofin Industrial Layout, where hundreds of 200-litre drums of flammable materials were stored.

In 2024, the fire service reported 1,607 fire incidents in the state and estimated that property worth N117.12 billion was saved.

The service said it will keep focusing on fire prevention, educating the public, and enforcing fire safety standards across the state.