Indiscriminate refuse burning cause of Lagos explosion – Fire service chief

Lagos State Fire Service has attributed the fire outbreak at Owode Onirin area of the state on Wednesday, to the nonchalant attitude of residents to bush and refuse burning.

Director of the service, Mr. Rasak Fadipe, made this known, Thursday, during a joint inspection of the scene of the incident by the officials of the Lagos State Environmental Protection Agency and firefighters to determine cause of the inferno and to protect the lives of other people.

Fadipe disclosed that the disaster was averted as 11 people suspected to have inhaled toxic fumes were quickly evacuated.

“Seven out of the cylinders exploded and unleashed havoc on the residents.  We attacked the fire professionally; bearing in mind that the area is surrounded by iron scrap markets and residential area and if not quickly quenched could lead to disaster,” further adding that the affected residents were quickly rushed to the trauma centre at Toll Gate for further medical treatment.

According to Fadipe, ‘people must avoid the temptation of indiscriminate burning of bushes or refuse in the name of saving cost as this can escalate into fires which can equally consume properties including houses and human lives.

He noted that, Owode Onirin has witnessed many avoidable disasters in the past and advised both the residents and traders to patronise the local vendors for cutting of grasses or weed and LAWMA for proper disposal of refuse.

He opined that residents should be wary of their surroundings as some items turn out to be major contributors or instruments to fire outbreak while also calling for voluntary compliance with safety precaution.

Chief Scientific officer, Mrs. Moji Adepega who led the LASEPA team with the use of a Testo 350 gas analyser was able to determine the cause of the odour being discharged from the scene of the fire outbreak and its environs and expressed the dangers inherent in people inhaling the content.