Chemical materials stored at an industrial facility caused the large-scale fire that gutted Parco Enterprises Nigeria Limited along Alaba Suru, Badagry Expressway, Lagos, on Saturday evening, a preliminary report by the Lagos State Emergency Management Agency has revealed.
The fire, which broke out at about 7:25pm, occurred at a warehouse and chemical blending and storage site located within a larger industrial cluster.
In a Sunday statement signed by the Permanent Secretary of LASEMA, Olufemi Oke-Osanyintolu, the agency said the blaze rapidly spread across an estimated 15,000 square metres of the facility, involving stored chemical materials.
“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.
LASEMA said the explosions created panic and posed a significant threat to adjoining facilities and residents within the surrounding community.
According to the agency, the fire was eventually contained through a coordinated response involving the LASEMA Response Unit, Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service, the Federal Fire Service, and private fire assets from Veepee.
Damping-down operations have since commenced, with emergency responders maintaining positions to prevent re-ignition and safeguard nearby facilities.
Operationally, LASEMA explained that firefighting efforts were executed from both the front and rear access points of the facility.
“The Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service led suppression efforts from the main entrance, while LASEMA Fire provided support from the rear,” the statement noted.
The agency also acknowledged the support of beverage company Lacasera, which assisted with water replenishment to sustain firefighting operations.
Preliminary observations by emergency responders identified several risk factors that may have contributed to the scale and intensity 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 added that further investigations were ongoing to determine the immediate trigger of the fire outbreak.
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