LASEMA Blames Human Errors for Recent Fire Outbreaks

By Ahmed Rahma

There have been a series of fire outbreaks in the past few weeks in Lagos State and these have been attributed to human errors.

The Director-General/Chief Executive Officer of the Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA), Mr Olufemi Damilola Oke-Osanyintolu, said some residents of the metropolis have been careless with electrical appliances, which sometimes trigger the infernos.

Recently, a fire outbreak was recorded at 62, Igaidungarun Street, Lagos Island and when LASEMA arrived the scene, it discovered that a three-storey building consisting of 32 shops and warehouses was engulfed in flames, starting from the second floor and spreading up to the third floor.

But with the prompt response of the combined efforts of the LASEMA Fire Team, Lagos State Fire Service and Federal Fire Service, the fire was put out.

No life was lost to the incident but five shops, warehouses and goods were destroyed. The cause of the fire, according to LASEMA, was a power surge when the light within the area was restored.

Reacting to the incident, Mr Oke-Osanyintolu appealed with all Lagosians to always ensure that electrical appliances are properly switched off when not in use to avoid a recurrence of such incidents.

He said investigations had revealed that electrical surge, storage of combustible materials, carelessness as some of the factors responsible for the incessant fire outbreaks in the state, adding the prevailing weather condition, particularly the harmattan season as another major cause of fire outbreaks in Lagos.

Mr Oke-Osanyintiolu, however, said LASEMA has inaugurated special local emergency committees to be deployed to various markets in the state to boost sensitization and enhance quick response to emergency situations.