The Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service has explained why the fire outbreak at the Great Nigeria Insurance House on Martins Street, Lagos Island, took several hours to contain. The fire, which started around 5 p.m. on Wednesday, spread from the fifth floor of the 25-storey building to nearby structures before it was brought under control on Christmas Day.
In a statement on X, the Controller General of the service, Margaret Adeseye, said a distress call was received at 4:41 p.m., with firefighters arriving at 4:53 p.m. Crews from multiple fire stations were deployed. She said poor storage practices, highly combustible materials and the conjoined nature of surrounding buildings hampered suppression efforts.
“The affected buildings are predominantly warehouses with poor storage practices involving highly combustible materials,” the statement read. Adeseye added that crowd control and limited access further complicated operations. She confirmed the fire was under control, five buildings were affected, and 10 persons were rescued alive and are in stable condition.