Chemical materials trigger fire at Lagos industrial facility

Chemical materials trigger fire at Lagos industrial facility

Chemical materials trigger fire

Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA) has revealed in a preliminary assessment that chemical materials stored at an industrial facility were responsible for the large-scale fire that gutted Parco Enterprises Nigeria Limited along Alaba Suru, Badagry Expressway, Lagos.

The fire, which broke out at about 7:25 p.m., on Saturday evening, occurred at a warehouse used for chemical blending and storage within a larger industrial cluster.

LASEMA said the inferno spread rapidly, engulfing an estimated 15,000 square metres of the facility.

In a statement issued by the agency’s Permanent Secretary, Olufemi Oke-Osanyintolu, LASEMA disclosed that the intensity of the fire was heightened by the nature of the materials stored at the site.

“The affected facility is a warehouse and chemical blending and storage site. The fire rapidly spread across an estimated 15,000sqm, involving stored chemical materials. The intensity of the incident led to intermittent explosions for several hours,” the statement said.

The explosions, according to the agency, caused widespread panic and posed a significant threat to nearby facilities and residents in the surrounding community.

LASEMA said the fire was eventually contained through a coordinated emergency response involving its Response Unit, the Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service, the Federal Fire Service, and private fire assets provided by Veepee.

LASEMA to residents: vacate firm’s vicinity

Damping-down operations have since commenced, with emergency responders maintaining a presence at the scene to prevent re-ignition and protect adjoining facilities.

The agency explained that firefighting operations were carried out from multiple access points. While the Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service led suppression efforts from the main entrance, LASEMA Fire teams provided support from the rear of the facility.

LASEMA also acknowledged the assistance of beverage company Lacasera, which supplied water to sustain firefighting operations.

Preliminary assessments by emergency responders identified several risk factors that may have contributed to the scale and severity of the fire.

“These include a high volume of volatile chemical storage within a confined space, inadequate ventilation within the warehouse facility, and insufficient emergency preparedness measures to manage a fire of this magnitude,” LASEMA said.

The agency noted that investigations were ongoing to determine the immediate cause of the fire outbreak.