Fire guts timber market in Lagos

Goods and properties worth millions of naira were destroyed in the early hours of Saturday as fire razed the Amu timber market in Mushin, Lagos state. 

Nosa Okunbor, LASEMA public affairs officer, confirmed the incident in a statement.

According to Okunbor, the fire outbreak was reported about 01:25am through distress calls to LASEMA’s control room via 767.

He said the fire is currently being curtailed with all first responders at the place and at work.

He said investigations revealed the fire was caused by an electrical surge, and that properties and goods worth millions of naira had been destroyed.

“The First Responders had long been at work since about 02:00a.m, inspite of the rumors spreading that the Fire Services responded without water in their appliances, with claims that the curtailed Fire was still raging and spreading fast,” the statement said.

“Situation Report on the Fire Outbreak at Amu Timber Market in Mushin by the LASEMA Response Teams has it that, upon arrival at incident scene, it was observed that many plank shops and adjoining residential buildings were gutted by the raging fire.

“Further investigations at the incident site revealed that the fire was caused by an electrical surge. Though an actual amount of damage wrought by the fire can not yet be given until proper enumeration is conducted, conservative estimates and tentative analysis has it that the inferno has razed goods and properties worth several millions of naira.

“However, no loss of lives has been attributed to the inferno, nor has any responder sustained any injuries despite the hindrance caused by miscreants who are bent on constituting a problem with their unsolicited assistance.

“The inferno is currently being combated by the combined efforts of LASEMA Fire Unit with two fire trucks, Julius Berger Fire Unit with two fire trucks and a Water Tanker, the Lagos State Fire Service with two fire trucks, the Federal Fire Service, the RRS, LNSC and the community. Operations still ongoing.”