Elderly Man Rescued, One Injured As Fire Guts House In Itire

Two adult men have been rescued from fire that engulfed eight-room bungalow on Onitire Road, Itire, Lagos, with one of them sustaining burn injuries while attempting to save elderly man.

Fire, which occurred at 43 Onitire Road, near Smith Bus Stop, also spread to three-bedroom flat on upper floor of adjoining two-storey residential building.

Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service disclosed this in statement on Tuesday, October 13, by its Senior Public Affairs Officer, Fadairo Maria.

According to agency, emergency call was received at about 9:10 p.m., while firefighters arrived at scene at 9:35 p.m. and immediately commenced firefighting and rescue operations.

Agency said 75-year-old man was rescued alive from bungalow, while 42-year-old man sustained burns in his attempt to rescue elderly man, who uses wheelchair.

Injured man was subsequently taken to Gbagada General Hospital by officials of Lagos State Ambulance Service, LASAMBUS, for medical attention.

Statement noted that “bungalow and its contents were severely damaged by fire, while affected section of two-storey building and its contents sustained minor damage.”

Firefighters from Isolo, Sari and Bolade fire stations participated in operation, with support from Federal Fire Service, Ojuelegba.

Other agencies at scene included Lagos Response Unit, LASAMBUS, Nigeria Police Force from Itire Division and Lagos State Traffic Management Authority, LASTMA.

On possible cause of incident, fire service said, “Preliminary assessment suggests that negligence resulting to electrical surge may have caused incident; however, exact cause remains subject to further determination.”

Controller-General of Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service, Margaret Abimbola Adeseye, urged residents to take precautionary measures to prevent electrical fires.

According to statement, Adeseye advised residents to “ensure that electrical installations are properly maintained, avoid overloading electrical sockets, and engage qualified electricians to inspect and repair faulty electrical systems.”

Residents were also advised to switch off electrical appliances when not in use and report emergencies promptly.

Agency urged members of public to use its toll-free emergency lines, 112 or 767, or Lagos Fire hotline, 08033235891, to report fire incidents.