The lack of accessible water sources significantly hindered efforts to control a fire that devastated four buildings in the Idumota area of Lagos Island Local Government Area, according to the National Emergency Management Agency’s Lagos zone.
Ibrahim Farinloye, the agency’s State Coordinator, explained the difficulties faced by emergency responders due to this limitation.
Farinloye highlighted that the absence of a nearby water source forced firefighting teams to repeatedly leave the scene to refill their tanks.
“We encountered a major challenge today due to the absence of a water source close to the incident site. Despite having over 10 firefighting vehicles at our disposal, there was nowhere on Lagos Island to source water from, necessitating multiple trips for water refills,” he stated.
To mitigate the water shortage, Julius Berger provided 30,000 litres of water to support the firefighting efforts, which saw the participation of both Federal and State Fire Services. Farinloye urged local traders to contribute towards establishing a permanent water solution, such as a borehole or fire hydrant, near the market and to consider insuring their goods against future incidents.
Margaret Adeseye, the Director of the Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service, attributed the cause of the fire to negligence and the accumulation of flammable materials. She commended the collaborative efforts of various agencies, including the Federal Fire Service, NPA Fire Service, LASEMA, LASAMBUS, Nigeria Police Force, LNSC, CBD Men, and Julius Berger, for their role in controlling the fire and preventing further damage.
The fire, which initially engulfed three buildings at the intersection of Nnamdi Azikiwe and Docemo in Idumota, led to the collapse of one building due to the fire’s intensity and the close proximity of the structures involved.
Adeseye confirmed, “An update on the situation at Docemo indicates a significant reduction in the fire’s intensity, affecting properties identified as house numbers 47, 49, and 51, with house number 49 collapsing as a result.”
