Lagos State witnessed a tragic toll of 62 lives lost to fire disasters and building collapses within the first six months of 2025, according to figures released by the Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service.
The statistics were made public on Monday in the agency’s mid-year operations report, which detailed incidents recorded between January and June 2025.
In a statement signed by Maria Fadairo, Senior Public Affairs Officer for the agency, the Fire and Rescue Service said it responded to 1,072 emergency cases during the six-month period. These included 922 fire outbreaks, two minor explosions, and 10 cases of building collapse—eight of which were partial. The report also noted 73 rescue operations and 65 salvage missions.
The agency expressed concern over a surge in prank calls, revealing it received 315 false alarms during the period under review.
Despite the challenges, officials were able to rescue 252 people from life-threatening situations. However, 62 people still lost their lives in the various emergencies, including fire incidents and structural failures.
The report also highlighted that property worth about ₦64.32 billion was saved from destruction due to timely intervention, although assets valued at ₦10.72 billion were lost.
Director of the Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service, Margaret Adeseye, described the agency’s work as critical to protecting both lives and the state’s economy.
“Our data reflects the importance of emergency response services in minimizing loss and protecting the environment, assets, and human lives in Lagos,” Adeseye stated.
She added that the service is working closely with stakeholders to develop more effective strategies in tackling recurrent fire outbreaks and unsafe building practices.
These collaborative efforts, she noted, will be further discussed during the upcoming 2025 edition of the International Fire Safety Conference.
Meanwhile, real estate professionals continue to raise concerns over substandard building practices. Gbola Aremu, a property manager with Titan Clan Limited, previously linked the frequent collapse of buildings in the state to incompetence and profit-driven shortcuts.
“Many people go into construction without proper training or technical background. Some skip crucial procedures like soil testing or ignore the topography of the area entirely,” Aremu said in a 2023 interview.
He warned that the obsession with quick returns often leads to structural instability, resulting in avoidable tragedies.
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