Fire Destroys Shops, Goods Worth Millions In Surulere, Ikorodu

By Emmanuel Daniji

For some traders in Surulere and Ikorodu, yesterday ended with counting the cost of fires that destroyed their shops, goods and livelihoods worth millions of naira.

Two shops at No. 19 Olatunde Onimole Street, near Bakery Bus Stop, Surulere, Lagos, were completely gutted by an early-morning fire, leaving traders to deal with the loss of furniture, provisions and other goods.

The blaze prompted a swift response from the Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA) Response Team, LRT Cobra Team, working alongside the Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service, LASEMA paramedics, the Nigeria Police and the Lagos Neighbourhood Safety Corps.

The joint emergency operation eventually brought the fire under control before it could spread to other properties in the area.

However, the two affected shops were completely razed, with their contents destroyed.

Fortunately, no death or injury was recorded.

The Surulere incident was not the only emergency that kept Lagos emergency responders busy yesterday.

In Ikorodu, another fire destroyed three shops at Adamo Bus Stop.

The LRT Lion Squad, in collaboration with the Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service, Imota, responded to the incident after preliminary findings indicated that an electrical spark ignited the roof of a hairdressing shop before the fire spread to adjoining shops.

Goods and property worth millions of naira were destroyed in the incident.

Firefighters were able to contain and extinguish the blaze, after which dampening-down operations were carried out to prevent the fire from reigniting.

Once again, no life was lost and no injury was recorded.

While the fires left traders facing significant financial losses, emergency responders also attended to a road accident on the Third Mainland Bridge, inward Obalende.

The LRT Tiger Squad at C3 responded after a yellow commercial bus reportedly overturned following a tyre burst.

LASEMA paramedics and LASAMBUS personnel attended to the victims at the scene and provided immediate medical attention before the operation was concluded.

Another emergency was recorded at about 6:09 a.m. on Ilupeju Road, inward Cappa, where an empty tanker with an unknown registration number developed a mechanical fault and became an obstruction to traffic.

The LRT Alpha Eagle Team responded with support from the Nigeria Police and LASEMA recovery equipment.

The tanker was eventually removed and taken to a lay-by, allowing normal traffic flow to resume along the route.

The series of incidents once again highlighted the range of emergencies that Lagos responders have to deal with daily, from fires threatening businesses and homes to road crashes and broken-down heavy-duty vehicles disrupting major roads.

Permanent Secretary of LASEMA, Olufemi Damilola Oke-Osanyintolu, said the agency had continued to demonstrate operational efficiency and effective inter-agency coordination through prompt responses to emergencies across the state.

He also urged Lagos residents to take safety precautions seriously, particularly by maintaining their vehicles, complying with electrical safety standards and reporting emergencies as quickly as possible.

Residents can contact the emergency response authorities through the toll-free 767 and 112 emergency lines.

For the traders affected by the Surulere and Ikorodu fires, however, the response came with a painful reality: while the flames were put out, the businesses and goods accumulated over time were already gone.