Fuel scarcity: Lagos warns landlords, motorists against indiscriminate storage of fuels in kegs  

Oredola AdeolaThe Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service has warned residents of Lagos state including Landlords, tenants and motorists against indiscriminate storage of the Premium Motor Spirit, also known as petrol, at inappropriate places to reduce the increasing regularity of these fire outbreaks and the attendant dangers to lives and properties being in the State.

Mrs. Adeseye Margaret, State Fire Chief,  made this appeal in a statement obtained by EnergyDay on Monday, released by Dosunmu Jamiu, Head, of Public Affairs

According to her, Lagos State recorded a total number of one hundred and twenty-nine (129) emergency calls in November.

She further noted that since the advent of the fuel scarcity some residents of the state have devised various illegal means of storing the product such as boots of their vehicles, under staircases at home, or within the premises of their working place.

These developments, according to the Lagos Fire Chief, are some of the factors responsible for the increase in the number of fire outbreaks which led to the destruction of lives and properties being witnessed recently in the State.

Mrs. Adeseye further reiterated that the State Government places a high premium on the safety of the lives and properties of the citizenry. She also warned that the nonchalant attitudes of the public to basic principles of safety of lives and properties is of great concern to the Government as the total number of emergency calls thus far in the month is way higher than 82 in the corresponding period October, 2022. The figure according to her is worrisome.

The Fire Chief, therefore, revealed the plan by the agency to extend its safety enlightenment campaign to all local government areas, hospitals, schools, and other grass-root levels,  in an effort to curb the tide of incident management associated with fire and related emergency outbreaks.

Adeseye cautioned that fuel scarcity is not a yardstick for illegitimate and inappropriate storage of fuel to the detriment of our lives and properties.She also warned the public to avoid using fuel kegs that have been used for petrol to store kerosene and any other flammable liquids. She also advised motorists not to store petrol in their boots, especially commercial vehicles.

The Fire Chief further urged landlords and co-tenants to be observant and prevent inappropriate storage of fuel in and around their homes while enjoining filling stations to disallow customers clustering around dispensing pumps in order to avoid scuffle that can spark off the outbreak of fire and avoid dispensing fuel in polythene bags.

Mrs. Adeyeye advised the public to call the agency and  Fire and Rescue service for prompt action via toll-free nos. 767 or 112 and the Lagos Fire Hotline, 08033235891.