A fire outbreak at a filling station in Kishi, Oyo State, on Friday evening destroyed three vehicles and a community power house, causing losses estimated at millions of naira, but no lives were lost, according to eyewitnesses and officials of the Oyo State Fire Services Agency.The incident occurred at the Mr Yusuff to Oloyo Filling Station, located in the Kara area of Kishi, within Irepo Local Government Area. Residents and passersby were thrown into panic when flames suddenly erupted from the facility’s power house and quickly spread to nearby property.
An eyewitness who spoke with journalists on Saturday said the fire started at about 5 p.m. following a loud explosion believed to have originated from the power house supplying electricity to the station and surrounding community. According to the witness, the blast ignited combustible materials in the area, allowing the fire to spread rapidly before emergency responders arrived.
“People heard a loud bang and within minutes, fire had taken over the power house and some vehicles parked nearby,” the eyewitness said. “Everyone was afraid it would spread to the fuel pumps, which could have caused a major disaster.”
Subsequent checks revealed that three vehicles were affected by the blaze. These included a Volvo truck with registration number AGG Lagos 731 GB, a Golf 3 car with registration number KUT 403 AP, and an empty DAF truck bearing registration number GB0 14 AB. All three vehicles were badly damaged by the fire.
Confirming the incident in an official statement released in Ibadan on Saturday, the Special Adviser to Governor Seyi Makinde on Fire Reform and Chairman of the Oyo State Fire Services Agency, Mr Moroof Akinwande, said the agency received a distress call at exactly 5:21 p.m. on Friday, January 9.
“The fire incident was reported at exactly 17:21hrs on Friday, January 9, at Mr Yusuff to Oloyo Filling Station, Kara Area, Kishi, in Irepo Local Government Area of the state,” Akinwande stated.
He explained that immediately the alert was received, a team of firefighters led by Assistant Fire Superintendent Akande E. O. was dispatched to the scene without delay.
“Upon arrival, our officers met a power house and three vehicles — a Volvo truck, a Golf 3 car, and an empty DAF truck — already engulfed in flames,” he said.
According to Akinwande, the prompt response and coordinated efforts of the fire service crew helped to prevent the situation from escalating into a larger catastrophe. Firefighters were able to contain and extinguish the blaze before it spread to the main filling station, fuel storage areas, or nearby residential and commercial buildings.
“No casualty was recorded during the incident,” Akinwande confirmed. “However, property worth millions of naira was destroyed. The fire service successfully saved the filling station, surrounding buildings, and other valuable property from imminent danger.”
Preliminary investigations by the agency indicated that the fire was triggered by an explosion in the power house, which then ignited nearby flammable materials. The exact technical cause of the explosion is still being assessed.
In response to the incident, Akinwande urged owners and operators of filling stations across Oyo State to strictly comply with fire safety standards. He stressed the importance of regular inspection and maintenance of electrical installations, generators, and power houses, especially in high-risk environments such as fuel stations.
He also reiterated the need for adequate fire-fighting equipment, including functional fire extinguishers, in all commercial premises and homes to enable quick response before fires escalate.
Akinwande further advised residents to remain vigilant and to promptly report any fire outbreak to the Oyo State Fire Services Agency through its emergency contact numbers: 08067439223, 08054353501, or the toll-free line 615.
The incident has renewed concerns about fire safety practices at fuel stations and other commercial facilities, particularly in semi-urban and rural communities where access to emergency services may be limited.
Source: Africa Publicity
