A tragic fire outbreak at a residential building on Bola Street in the Oyingbo area of Lagos State has claimed the life of a 103-year-old woman and destroyed several homes and shops, throwing the community into mourning.
The incident happened around midday on Friday and involved a bungalow with attached shops. The Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA) confirmed the incident in an official statement signed by its Permanent Secretary, Mr. Olufemi Oke-Osanyintolu.
According to LASEMA, the agency received a distress call about the fire at about noon. Emergency responders were immediately mobilised and arrived at the scene at 12:13 p.m. However, by the time they got there, the fire had already spread across most parts of the building.
“Upon the arrival of the Lagos Response Team at the incident scene by 12:13 hours, it was observed that a residential bungalow with two shops attached was engulfed by fire at the aforementioned location,” Oke-Osanyintolu said.
Eyewitnesses in the area said the fire started suddenly and spread very fast, giving residents little time to react. Some residents reportedly tried to put out the fire with water before the arrival of firefighters, but their efforts were unsuccessful due to the intensity of the blaze.
LASEMA explained that the fire was first noticed in one of the rooms in the building before spreading to other rooms and adjoining shops. As of the time of reporting, the exact cause of the fire had not yet been determined.
“The fire reportedly started in a room before spreading to other rooms within the building. However, the cause of the fire had yet to be ascertained as of the time of filing this report,” the statement said.
Tragically, the 103-year-old woman, who was inside the building at the time of the fire, was trapped and could not escape. A preliminary assessment by emergency responders confirmed that she did not survive the incident.
“Unfortunately, one life, a 103-year-old centenarian (name withheld), was lost to the incident,” Oke-Osanyintolu stated.
Residents of the area described the deceased as an elderly woman who had lived in the community for several years. Many expressed shock and sadness over her death, describing it as a painful loss, especially given her advanced age.
The fire caused extensive damage to the property. LASEMA disclosed that eight rooms, a mini flat, six shops, and several household items were affected by the blaze. Goods belonging to shop owners were also destroyed, leading to significant financial losses.
Some of the affected shop owners said they lost all their goods in the fire and were now left with nothing. They appealed to the government and well-meaning Nigerians for support to help them recover and restart their businesses.
Firefighters from LASEMA, working alongside other emergency responders, were eventually able to bring the fire under control and prevent it from spreading to nearby buildings. After extinguishing the fire, rescue, recovery, and dampening-down operations were carried out at the scene.
“The recovered body has been handed over to the family for necessary action. The fire has been completely extinguished,” Oke-Osanyintolu said.
He added that authorities were still assessing the full extent of the damage caused by the fire, while investigations were expected to begin to determine the cause of the outbreak.
Fire incidents are not uncommon in Lagos, especially in densely populated areas like Oyingbo, where many buildings are old and closely packed together. Experts have often blamed faulty electrical wiring, illegal power connections, and careless handling of cooking appliances for many fire outbreaks in the state.
In recent years, Lagos has recorded several deadly fire incidents that have resulted in loss of lives and property worth millions of naira. Despite repeated warnings from authorities, many residents still live in buildings that do not meet basic fire safety standards.
The Lagos State government, through agencies such as LASEMA and the Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service, has continued to sensitise residents on fire prevention and safety measures. These include proper electrical installations, safe use of cooking gas, and the importance of having fire extinguishers in homes and shops.
However, residents of older neighbourhoods often complain that poor infrastructure, overcrowding, and lack of access roads make it difficult for emergency responders to act quickly during emergencies.
In the Oyingbo incident, some residents said narrow streets and parked vehicles delayed the movement of fire trucks, allowing the fire to spread further before help arrived.
Community leaders in the area have called on the government to improve emergency response systems and enforce building safety regulations to prevent similar tragedies in the future.
They also urged residents to be more cautious and to report any electrical faults or fire risks promptly before they turn into disasters.
The death of the 103-year-old woman has renewed calls for special attention to the safety of elderly people, who may find it difficult to escape during emergencies. Advocates say families and caregivers should ensure that elderly relatives are not left alone in unsafe environments.
As investigations continue, the Oyingbo community remains in shock, mourning the loss of one of its oldest residents and counting the cost of yet another fire disaster in Lagos.