A fire outbreak on Tuesday evening gutted parts of the popular Army Arena Market, Bolade, in the Oshodi area of Lagos, causing damage to several container shops before it was brought under control by firefighters.

The incident was confirmed in a statement by the controller general of the Lagos State Government Fire and Rescue Service, Margaret Adeseye, on Tuesday evening.

She said that the agency received a distress call at 5:50 p.m., reporting a fire at the market.

“Firefighting crews were immediately dispatched and arrived at the scene within five minutes, at approximately 5:55 p.m.

“Fire crews from the Bolade, Ilupeju, Ikeja and Alausa Fire Stations responded promptly and worked together to contain the blaze.

“The fire affected a section of the market comprising five 40-foot container shops arranged in two rows, bringing the total number of affected shops to 10. The affected area was mainly used for the storage and sale of clothing materials stocked in bales, ” she said.

The controller general said that the fire was confined to the affected section and successfully curtailed, with no risk of it spreading to other parts of the market.

Ms Adeseye assured the public that all necessary measures were taken to safeguard lives and property. She said that an investigation into the cause of the fire would be conducted in due course, while further updates would be provided as necessary. 

(NAN)