A burst cylinder stored under an impounded vehicle at the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) warehouse, Ikeja Lagos, on Thursday ignited a fire which destroyed not fewer than 20 other vehicles.
It was also, unduly aided by the harmattan.
The fire which which started around 12 noon at the Federal Operations Unit (FOU) totally consumed 12 cars, two buses and six trucks, some of which were loaded with perboiled rice, waiting to be transferred to the IDP Camps.
The MARITIME FIRST noted that even though the fire fighters arrived the scene timely, their efforts were initially thwarted by the disorganised manner the impounded contrabands were parked, which seriously frustrated an easy reach, to the inferno.
While goods estimated at several millions were destroyed, the actual figure may not be easily quantified.
Two vehicles from the Lagos Accident and Emergency body, a car and a bus also raced to the warehouse, in case there were threats to human lives. There was none, as everyone kept a safe distance.
Speaking later, Deputy Head, Lagos State Fire Service, Rasaki Musibau advised on need for everyone to exercise greater caution, with fire, particularly during this harmattan period.
He blamed the fire on a burst cylinder stored under one of the burnt vehicles.
“From available information, the fire started from a burst cylinder stored under one of the vehicles and was enhanced by the harmattan,” Musibau told newsmen.
In his own comment, the Customs Area Controller of the unit, Garba Uba Mohammed who was actually fielding questions with newsmen before being alerted of the inferno, thanked the fire service for quick response in combating the fire.
He lauded the existing inter-agency collaboration, saying that was what helped quell the inferno.
A more devastating early morning fire had similarly tore through the same FOU warehouse in April 2016, destroying everything within its reach for more than four hours.
Till date, the remote or latent cause of the fire was never made public.
