Two men have been rescued from a fire that gutted an eight-room bungalow on Onitire Road, Smith Bus Stop, Itire, Lagos, with one of them sustaining burn injuries while attempting to save an elderly man.

The Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service disclosed this in a statement, identifying the incident’s location as 43 Onitire Road, Itire.

According to the agency, an emergency call was received at about 9:10 p.m., while firefighters arrived at the scene at 9:35 p.m. and immediately commenced firefighting operations.

During the operation, firefighters rescued a 75-year-old man who uses a wheelchair. A 42-year-old man, who sustained burns while attempting to save the elderly resident, was also rescued.

The injured man was taken to Gbagada General Hospital by officials of the Lagos State Ambulance Service (LASAMBUS) for medical treatment.

The fire destroyed the eight-room bungalow and its contents before spreading to a three-bedroom flat on the upper floor of an adjoining two-storey residential building.

While the bungalow and its contents suffered severe damage, the affected section of the adjoining building and its contents sustained minor damage.

Personnel from the Isolo, Sari and Bolade fire stations of the Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service handled the operation, with support from the Federal Fire Service, Ojuelegba.

Other agencies present at the scene included the Lagos Response Unit, LASAMBUS, officers of the Nigeria Police Force from the Itire Division and the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA).

The fire service said the blaze was successfully brought under control.

“Preliminary assessment suggests that negligence resulting to an electrical surge may have caused the incident; however, the exact cause remains subject to further determination,” the statement said.

The Controller-General of the Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service, Margaret Abimbola Adeseye, urged residents to maintain their electrical installations, avoid overloading sockets and engage qualified electricians to inspect and repair faulty electrical systems.

She also advised residents to switch off electrical appliances when not in use and promptly report fire emergencies through the agency’s toll-free lines.