The Director Lagos Fire Service, Mr. Rasak Fadipe on Thursday attributed the Wednesday fire outbreak at Owode Onirin area of the State to the nonchalant attitudes of residents to bush/refuse burning.
He made this known during the joint inspection of the fire incidence scene by the officials of the Lagos State Environmental Protection Agency and firefighters to determine the cause of the inferno and to protect the lives of other people.
Fadipe disclosed that, disaster was averted as 11 people suspected to have inhaled toxic fumes were quickly evacuated.
According to him, “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. He added that the affected people were quickly rushed to trauma centre at toll gate for further medical attention”.
According to Fadipe, people must avoid the temptation of indiscriminate setting ablaze of bushes/refuses in the name of saving cost as this can escalate into consuming 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 what are being kept in their surroundings as they may turn out to be major contributor or instrument of fire outbreak while also calling for voluntary compliance of 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 as harmful to the health of people perceiving it.