Lagos State saved properties worth N118.32 billion from fire incidents in 2025, but lost N19.72 billion to various fire outbreaks across the state, the government said on Monday.
Olugbenga Oyerinde, Commissioner for Special Duties and Inter-Governmental Relations, made the disclosure during a ministerial press briefing at Alausa, Ikeja. He presented performance figures from agencies under his ministry as part of the seventh-anniversary celebration of Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu and Deputy Obafemi Hamzat's administration.
The saved properties exceeded losses by more than six times, Oyerinde said, resulting in a net asset protection value of approximately N98.60 billion. "The figures reflect the growing capacity of the Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service and other emergency response agencies to contain fire disasters and minimise economic losses across the state," he explained.
March 2025 was the worst month for fire losses. Properties worth N2.10 billion were lost that month, the highest in the year. August had the lowest losses at N1.13 billion, which Oyerinde attributed to reduced emergency incidents during the peak rainy season. March also recorded the highest value of properties saved at N12.60 billion, while August had the lowest at N6.78 billion.
The state received 1,972 emergency calls related to fire and rescue operations between January and December 2025, excluding false alarms. Fire calls made up 1,685 incidents, the overwhelming majority handled by firefighters. The remaining calls comprised 139 rescue operations, 129 salvage operations, 13 collapsed building incidents, three partial collapses and three explosion cases.
March and April saw the most emergency activity with 210 and 197 incidents respectively, driven by dry season conditions and increased fire risks. August had the lowest with 113 calls. December saw a rise to 189 calls due to festive season activities, increased traffic and heightened commercial operations.
Fires and related emergencies claimed lives and displaced people across the state. Rescue teams pulled 473 victims alive from emergency incidents in 2025. Another 133 victims were recovered dead. These figures underscore both the severity of fires in the state and the critical work of emergency responders.
To prevent future incidents, the Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service inspected 8,791 facilities in 2025 and issued 7,997 fire safety certificates to compliant organisations. The service also issued 90 fire safety reports to members of the public for insurance claims. Facilities inspected included 2,672 companies, 2,241 hotels and restaurants, 1,025 schools and vocational centres, 724 filling stations, 596 hospitals, 590 shopping malls and 141 banks. The service also checked event centres, churches, supermarkets, bakeries, high-rise buildings, lounges, bars, plank markets, tank farms and embassies.
Oyerinde credited the improved response capacity to sustained government investment in firefighting infrastructure, personnel welfare and modern emergency management systems. The state government procured 62 firefighting and utility vehicles and completed two strategic fire service projects: the Ebute-Elefun Fire Station on Lagos Island and the Ijegun-Egba Fire Station in Amuwo-Odofin. Ongoing fire station projects in Oworonshoki, Yaba and Ikotun will further reduce response times and improve coverage across the state.
