Fire Outbreak Kills 2, Destroy N1.59bn Worth of Property in Bauchi – FFS
By Halima Abdulkadiri
The Federal Fire Service (FFS) says fire outbreaks claimed two lives and destroyed property valued at N1.59 billion in Bauchi State between January and December 2025.
The Public Relations Officer of the FFS Bauchi State Command, Umar Lawal, disclosed this in the agency’s fire outbreak statistics released on Monday in Abuja and made available to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN).
Lawal said the command responded to 167 fire incidents during the period under review, saving four lives and property worth N2.86 billion.
According to him, the incidents affected public and government buildings, private residences, educational institutions, markets, petrol and gas stations, as well as automobiles.
Providing a breakdown, Lawal explained that 10 fire incidents in public and government buildings resulted in property losses estimated at N23 million, while assets worth N855.1 billion were saved.
He added that 80 fire incidents involving private dwellings led to losses valued at N605 million, with properties worth N1.4 billion salvaged.
In educational institutions, fire outbreaks destroyed property worth N120 million, while assets valued at N200 million were saved.
Lawal further stated that five market fires resulted in losses of N45 million, with N90 million worth of property saved.
Similarly, 15 fire incidents at petrol and gas stations led to losses of N23.7 million, while N53 million worth of property was saved. Another 15 fire outbreaks involving automobiles destroyed assets valued at N70 million, with N33 million recovered.
The FFS spokesperson attributed most of the incidents to electrical faults, power surges, illegal storage of petroleum products, accidents, and fires originating from refuse dumps.
He advised residents to switch off and properly secure electrical appliances when not in use and warned against overloading electrical systems, noting that such practices significantly increase the risk of fire outbreaks.
“Fire safety is essential in every aspect of human activity. Preventing fire outbreaks helps save lives, property, and the environment,” Lawal said, adding that overloading electrical appliances exceeds circuit capacity and often results from negligence.
