An Optimal Filling Station located on Aule Road in Akure, the Ondo State capital has been gutted by fire.

It was gathered that the fire, which destroyed the administrative block of the filling station and dispensing pumps, was put out by some fire service personnel.

Speaking on the incident, the spokesperson of the Federal Fire Service in Ondo State, Ayodele Ajulo, attributed the inferno to the heat in the underground tank.

Ajulo advised filling stations’ operators to be extremely careful while offloading fuel from tankers into their underground tanks.

“We always tell people to be extremely cautious during this period. The hot weather makes it easy for fire to erupt from anything inflammable.

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“It is important for people, especially filling station operators, to take all necessary precautions and also have enough fire extinguishers around in case of any emergency,” he said.

Ajulo, however, commended the residents that cooperated with firefighters to quench the inferno, thanking God that no live was lost.

A resident, Abiodun Adelekun, said some youths in the araea came out en masse to ensure that the fire was put out to prevent it from spreading to other buildings within the vicinity.

“The  fire started when the tanker was offloading its content into the underground tanks. All we heard was a bang and we saw fire everywhere coming out of the tanker.

“We came out to assist the fire fighters to save our houses,” he said.

He urged the state government to discourage having  petrol stations in clustered areas, adding that it was not the best.

“If not for the fire service today and the support of youths from this area, the fire would have escalated beyond control,” Adelekun added.

The Star