Firefighters from the Kwara State Fire Brigade successfully averted a major disaster at Aasco Petrol station along Ajase-Ipo highway in Ilorin, Ilorin West Local Government of the state capital on Saturday.
The incident occurred at about 17:57 hours, according to the spokesman of the fire service, Hassan Adekunle in Ilorin on Saturday.
“Upon arrival at the scene, the fire crew encountered a severe and rapidly spreading fire at the Aasco filling station along Ajase-Ipo Road, Ilorin.
“The firemen immediately commenced firefighting operations to contain the inferno and prevented it from spreading to other parts of the filling station.
“Despite the scale of the disaster, the firemen who demonstrated their expertise and skill, successfully controlled and extinguished the fire with their knowledge and prowess in firefighting techniques,” he added.
He disclosed that investigation into the cause of the inferno revealed that a spark emitted from a Dyna truck with registration number LEM115XB ignited the flammable liquid, leading to the fire outbreak.
“This unfortunate incident resulted in substantial damage to the Dyna truck and a bus.
“However, thanks to the swift and coordinated response of the firemen and the support of relevant authorities; the fire was brought under control, limiting further potential damage to the facility and surrounding areas,” he further stated.
Director, Kwara State Fire Service, Prince Falade John Olumuyiwa, urged the general public to always play safe, especially during this period and not to hesitate to call fire brigade on time whenever there is any fire emergency in their areas.