The Federal Fire Service Zone F has reported that properties worth an estimated N1.5 billion were saved from fire incidents in the zone during the month of August. Mr. Chika Njoku, the Assistant Controller General and Zonal Commander responsible for the zone, shared this information with the News Agency of Nigeria in Lagos on Thursday. Zone F comprises Lagos, Oyo, and Ogun states.
Njoku disclosed that the zone received a total of 22 fire calls during the period, successfully extinguishing 13 of them and rescuing 20 individuals in the process.
Within the same month, properties valued at approximately N384.1 million were unfortunately lost to fire incidents in the three states. Lagos experienced the highest number of fire incidents with 14 cases, but they managed to save 12 lives. Nine other individuals were rescued from various disasters, and properties worth around N345 million were reportedly lost, while items valued at N1.2 billion were saved.
In Oyo, there were eight fire cases, resulting in eight lives being saved, with eight additional rescues from other disasters. Estimated property losses due to fire were approximately N38.4 million, but they managed to save over N296 million worth of property.
Interestingly, no fire incidents occurred in Ogun during August, and no lives were lost to fire in the three states during that month.
Njoku attributed the decrease in fire calls in August 2023 compared to August 2022 to proactive measures such as public awareness campaigns through various media and educational initiatives on the causes and prevention of fire outbreaks. He acknowledged the significant role played by the Prevention, Regulatory, and Inspectorate Unit in these efforts, as well as the collaboration with sister agencies that aided in extinguishing fires in hard-to-reach areas.
In August 2022, the zone recorded 39 fire incidents, with Lagos accounting for 30 cases, Ogun five, and Oyo four. During that period, properties valued at N352.6 million were lost, while properties worth approximately N2.2 billion were saved. They also managed to save 11 lives during fire operations and rescued eight others from different disasters in Lagos State.
Ogun recorded five fire cases in 2022, resulting in an estimated N65 million in property losses and over N1.2 billion worth of property saved. In Oyo State, four fire incidents were reported, causing one fatality, an estimated N42 million in property losses, and the preservation of around N172 million worth of property.