LASG TAKES FIRE PREVENTION, SAFETY CAMPAIGN TO TIMBER MARKETS

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Following the recent fire incidents in some markets in the State, a LASG team, drawn from the Ministry of Special Duties, Safety Commission and Fire and Rescue Service, on Thursday embarked on an intense fire sensitisation campaign to some markets to educate the traders on fire prevention and safety measures.

Addressing the traders at the Timber Markets in Oko-Baba, Amu in Mushin and Isolo during the exercise, the Commissioner for Special Duties, Mr. Gbenga Oyerinde said the losses being recorded in the state as a result of fire incidents informed the sensitisation campaign.

Oyerinde said the campaign would be extended to other sectors in the state, saying, “There is a roadmap for the year which includes a stakeholders’ meeting across every sector of the grassroots. Today we are with the timber sector, we are going to go to the mechanics, and we will reach out to marketplaces where they sell different things. We will still hold a mega stakeholders forum where every interest will be taken care of”.

The Director-General, Lagos Safety Commission, Mr. Lanre Mojola, while fielding questions from newsmen, said, “We are here to bring the message of safety to the grassroots like we always say, prevention is better than cure. It is better to prevent fire than fight the fire because when you fight the fire there are so many things that happen. First is the loss of lives, and second is property damage. We have seen the improvement from where we are coming from. It’s a continuous exercise that will be done in all the nook and cranny of Lagos State”.

The Director of the Lagos Fire and Rescue Service, Margaret Adeseye lamented the incessant fire outbreaks in the state, revealing that about 2,583 fire outbreaks were recorded in the State in 2023.

While informing that 251 emergency calls were received in January alone, she attributed the rise in the number of cases of fire outbreaks primarily to negligence and delayed reporting.

Adeyeye added that human actions such as improper storage of petroleum products, misuse of electrical appliances, hot works operations, and mishandling of gas cylinders remained significant contributing factors.

As a way out of the problem, the Director said the Lagos State Government is intensifying its fire safety awareness campaign across all local government areas, focusing on key public spaces, including markets, hospitals, schools, and religious centres for enhanced outreach efforts.