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Lagos State has recorded a 20 per cent reduction in fire-related emergencies in 2024, according to the latest Fire Report of the state’s fire and rescue service.
The report also said 450 victims rescued and properties worth N117.12 billion slavaged.
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Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu attributed the decline to sustained infrastructure support for emergency response teams and intensified fire safety advocacy aimed at reducing fire hazards.
The figures were released at the second edition of the Lagos International Fire Safety Conference (LIFSC), organised by the Ministry of Special Duties and Intergovernmental Relations and held at the Federal Palace Hotels, Victoria Island on Tuesday.
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The two-day event had the theme: ‘Leveraging Technology and Community Engagement to Prevent Fire.’
Presenting the 2024 Fire Report, the Director of Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service, Margret Adeseye, said the agency received 1,952 emergency calls, including 1,607 fire incidents with minimal casualties.
She said in 2023, the agency responded to over 2,500 fire and rescue cases.
Modern fighting equipment
Governor Sanwo-Olu said the decline was the result of providing modern fire-fighting equipment, deploying technology, and improving mobility.
He noted that in the last six years, his administration had built 25 new fire stations, with four more to be delivered soon, and supplied over 60 fire trucks and additional firefighting kits in the past two years.
The governor also disclosed the acquisition of drones to detect fire sources in high-rise buildings and the refurbishment of the Command and Control Centre to improve emergency response time from 15 minutes to between five and seven minutes.
The Commissioner for Special Duties and Intergovernmental Relations, Gbenga Oyerinde, said the conference was designed to raise fire safety awareness and strengthen stakeholder cooperation.
He stressed that fire prevention is a shared responsibility among government, communities, and the private sector.
Mr Adeseye added that the Fire Service inspected 7,870 facilities for fire risk in 2024 and issued 7,039 fire certificates. Despite the progress, 91 casualties were recorded, and properties worth N19.5 billion were lost.
The report comes against the backdrop of recent fire incidents in Lagos. In the first half of 2025 alone, at least 62 people lost their lives in fire outbreaks and building collapses across the state.
The figures are contained in the mid-year activity report of the Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service (LSFRS), which reviewed incidents between January and June 2025.
In a statement, the agency’s Senior Public Affairs Officer, Maria Fadairo, said the report provides a snapshot of emergency response efforts during the period, highlighting key statistics and operational achievements.
In November 2024, a fire at Ajah Market in Lekki destroyed several shops containing combustible materials.
The Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA) said there were no casualties and that the fire was contained before spreading to nearby buildings.
In August 2024, a fire outbreak on Sanni Adewale Street, Lagos Island, damaged several shops in a seven-storey building, while another incident involving a gas truck at a Mobil filling station in Ikeja destroyed eight vehicles.
Also, in September 2024, the Oko-Baba plank market in Ebute-Metta was gutted by fire, and a recent blaze disrupted blue rail train services.
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