A major fire on Thursday gutted a shopping complex and several nearby shops along Amore Street in the Ajegunle Boundary area of Lagos State, destroying goods worth millions of naira, emergency response officials said.
Preliminary investigations indicate the blaze was triggered by a power surge shortly after the restoration of electricity in the area.
Emergency responders, including officials from the Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA), were deployed to the scene and worked to extinguish the fire before it spread to other structures. Preliminary findings by LASEMA’s response team suggested that the fire began when a power surge occurred as mains electricity was restored.
“Preliminary investigations conducted by the LASEMA Response Team revealed that the fire ignited as a result of power surge when public power supply of electricity was restored,” the agency said in a statement, affirming that no lives were lost and there were no casualties.
Traders at the affected complex told journalists that a large volume of goods, valued in millions of naira, was destroyed in the inferno. Many shop owners were still assessing their losses as they returned to the site after firefighters brought the blaze under control.
The incident reportedly caused significant disruption to businesses in the area, with traders appealing for government support to help them recover. Some affected business owners called for enhanced fire safety measures in densely populated commercial districts to prevent similar occurrences in the future.
Lagos State has experienced a series of fire incidents in recent months, with multiple markets and commercial structures affected by outbreaks since the end of last year.
Authorities have repeatedly emphasised the need for improved electrical infrastructure, compliance with safety regulations and proactive measures to prevent fire disasters in urban and market spaces.
Fire outbreaks in busy commercial areas such as Ajegunle highlight ongoing challenges related to electrical safety, emergency response readiness and public awareness.
Government agencies and fire safety officials continue to advocate for better planning, regular inspections and adherence to fire prevention standards in Lagos and other major cities.
LASEMA said it would complete its investigation into the Ajegunle fire to determine the full cause and provide recommendations aimed at reducing the risk of future incidents.
The absence of casualties in the burglary‑like blaze was welcomed by residents and traders, even as the economic impact of the property and goods loss is being quantified by affected stakeholders.
