The Director of Lagos State Fire Service, Engr Razaq Fadipe, has confirmed to Aproko247 that only 11 shops were affected in the early morning fire incident that occurred at a Sawmill Market in Ipaja area of Lagos State on Tuesday.
Speaking with our reporter when contacted, Engr Fadipe stated that the prompt response of his men to the scene saved the situation. He confirmed that no live was lost in the fire. Fadipe also said that the Fire Service received a distressed call at 3:08am on Tuesday, and got to the scene at 3:13am.
He further stated that the state’s fire fighters arrived at the market with two fire trucks filled with 50,000 litres of water each from Agege and Ikotu stations.
Fadipe also disclosed that despite being faced with four major obstacles, his men were able to put out the fire around 5am.
According to him, the four obstacles faced were: the planks, which are free burning materials because they are dry at this time; the sawmill dust, which is a fuel on its own; the season itself (harmattan); and the velocity of the wind at night, which aids burning of fire.
The Fire Service boss told Aproko247 that about 150 shops in the market were not affected by the inferno because the agency acted promptly to the distressed call. We gathered that electricity surge may have caused the fire incident.
Barely a year ago, a similar incident occurred in January 2013 in Ketu area of the state in which a sawmill market was burnt down by fire.
