Car Fire Sparks Panic at Broad Street Polaris Bank Tower

​LAGOS — Panic gripped workers and business owners on Lagos Island today after a fire broke out at the 17-storey building housing a Polaris Bank branch at 61/65 Broad Street.

​Initial reports and viral social media videos showing thick plumes of black smoke billowing from the high-rise triggered widespread fears that the entire commercial tower was ablaze. However, emergency services and bank officials have since confirmed that the incident was localized and swiftly brought under control.

​According to Margaret Adeseye, Director of the Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service (LSFRS), a distress call was received at 11:33 a.m. Firefighters from the Ebute Elefun and Sari Iganmu stations arrived at the scene within minutes to discover that the fire originated on the third floor of the skyscraper, which functions as an internal parking facility.

​The inferno was caused by a stationary saloon car belonging to a bank customer, which suddenly ignited.

​”Firefighters promptly responded to the emergency and swiftly contained the fire, preventing it from spreading to other vehicles and sections of the building,” Adeseye said. She confirmed that damage was strictly limited to the affected vehicle and its immediate surroundings, adding that no casualties or injuries were recorded.

​Polaris Bank’s Head of Corporate Communications, Rasheed Bolarinwa, quickly debunked early social media rumors claiming multiple fatalities.

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​”Our emergency response procedures were immediately activated,” Bolarinwa stated. “We are pleased to confirm that there were no casualties or fatalities. Reports circulating on social media claiming that over 34 persons were feared dead are false and entirely inaccurate.”

​Bolarinwa assured the public that the bank’s operations were completely unaffected, with banking halls remaining open and customers continuing their business safely.

​The incident occurred just six months after a separate, devastating fire razed several floors of the 25-storey Great Nigeria Insurance House on nearby Martins Street. The proximity of today’s fire to past commercial district infernos initially escalated public anxiety, though first responders successfully prevented a secondary disaster. Normalcy has since been restored to Broad Street, and an investigation into the vehicle’s ignition is underway.