Firefighters in Kwara State prevented a major disaster after a petrol tanker loaded with roughly 55,000 liters of petrol caught fire during a fuel transfer operation at a filling station in Moro Local Government Area.
The incident took place on Friday night at A’A BA’AGEE Nigeria Limited, Aadogun Village, along the Bode Saadu-Kaiama Road, where the blaze threatened the filling station and its underground fuel storage facilities.
The Kwara State Fire Service reported that it received a distress call at 9:58 p.m. and sent firefighters to the scene, where they discovered the tanker already consumed by flames.
In a statement released on Saturday by its Public Relations Officer, Hassan Adekunle, the agency said its personnel promptly launched intensive firefighting operations to stop the fire from spreading to the filling station and its storage facilities.
The agency stated that the fire was brought under control at 12:20 a.m. on Saturday, November 14, following sustained efforts by the firefighters.
“Although the tanker was affected by the fire, the filling station and the 55,000 liters of PMS in the tanker were successfully protected, thereby preventing what could have resulted in a major disaster,” the statement said.
The fire service said that details collected at the scene showed the tanker had delivered the petroleum product to the facility and was emptying its contents into an underground storage tank when the fire started.
It added that the driver tried to drive the burning tanker away from the filling station in order to lessen the danger to the facility.
“During the transfer process, a sudden fire reportedly erupted and caught the tanker,” the agency said.
“The driver managed to move the tanker a little bit out of the filling station in an attempt to reduce the immediate threat to the facility.
“Efforts were initially made to suppress the fire before the arrival of the fire service; however, those efforts proved insufficient, and the fire escalated, eventually engulfing the tanker,” it added.
The Chief Fire Officer, Alabi Muhammed, praised the firefighters for their response, noting that their intervention stopped the filling station and its fuel storage facilities from being destroyed.
Muhammed, however, cautioned filling station operators, tanker drivers, and petroleum product handlers against ignoring safety procedures during fuel transfer operations.
He stated that transferring petroleum products demanded strict adherence to safety standards and the presence of suitable fire protection equipment.
The fire chief advised petroleum handlers to ensure proper grounding and bonding during fuel transfer so as to lower the risk of ignition from static electricity.
He also cautioned against smoking, open flames, welding, and other activities that could generate sparks around fuel handling and storage areas.
Muhammed urged filling station operators to provide and routinely maintain working fire extinguishers, foam systems, and other approved firefighting installations.
He further called for regular inspection of fuel transfer hoses, valves, connections, and other equipment to spot defects that could cause accidents.
The chief fire officer said tanker drivers, station attendants, and other personnel should receive adequate emergency training and be familiar with the procedures for responding to fire outbreaks.
He warned untrained personnel against trying to tackle a growing petroleum fire without the necessary equipment and support from emergency responders.
Muhamed urged operators to treat any sign of fire during fuel transfer as an emergency and to alert the fire service and other relevant agencies immediately.
The agency restated its commitment to protecting lives and property in the state, urging petroleum marketers and transport operators to prioritize safety compliance.
