Lagos fire incidents claim 65 lives, destroy N13.2bn property

LAGOS — No fewer than 65 persons were feared dead in fire and other emergency incidents across Lagos State between January and September 2026, while property estimated at N13.24 billion was lost, the Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service has said.

The agency disclosed this in its Third Quarter Activity Report, which showed that it responded to 1,324 emergency incidents during the nine-month period.

Of the total, 1,135 were fire incidents, while 210 victims were rescued alive and 65 suspected fatalities were recovered during emergency operations.

According to the report, made available to Vanguard by the agency’s Senior Public Affairs Officer, Fadairo Maria, the incidents comprised 1,135 fire calls, 79 rescue calls, 100 salvage operations, nine collapsed-building incidents and one gas-related explosion.

A monthly breakdown showed that January recorded the highest number of incidents with 203, followed by March with 201, while September recorded the lowest with 94 incidents.

March also recorded the highest number of fire calls, with 176, followed by January with 173. September had the lowest number, with 80 fire calls.

The Service disclosed that 341 false emergency calls were recorded during the period, warning that such calls could delay firefighters’ response to genuine emergencies and put lives and property at risk.

The Controller-General of the Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service, Margaret Abimbola Adeseye, said the figures underscored the need for sustained fire-safety awareness, prompt reporting of emergencies and strict compliance with safety regulations.

She urged residents to avoid indiscriminate burning, properly handle and store flammable materials, switch off and unplug electrical appliances when not in use, and avoid overloading electrical sockets.

Adeseye also advised households, businesses and institutions to maintain functional fire extinguishers and ensure that escape routes and access points remained free of obstruction.

N79.4bn property saved

On the economic impact of the incidents, the Service said property estimated at N79.44 billion was saved, while losses stood at N13.24 billion.

It put the total estimated value of property affected by the incidents at N92.68 billion.

Adeseye warned that false emergency calls could have serious consequences for emergency response.

“False emergency calls can delay the response of firefighters to genuine emergencies and potentially put lives, property and the environment at risk,” she said.

She urged residents to report fire incidents promptly and cooperate with emergency responders whenever they arrive at incident scenes.

The Controller-General reaffirmed the Service’s commitment to protecting lives and property through prompt emergency response, fire prevention, public enlightenment, enforcement of fire-safety standards and continuous engagement with communities.

She stressed that “prevention remains the most effective way to reduce the devastating impact of fire emergencies.”