Fire Engulfs Filling Station, Cooking Gas Outlet in Jos, Plateau State

A petroleum and cooking gas filling station along Bukuru Expressway in Jos, Plateau State, was engulfed by fire on Thursday morning, causing panic among residents and motorists.

The blaze reportedly started around the major underground petroleum discharge tank at the station, located a short distance from the Jos South Local Government Secretariat, raising concerns over the potential scale of damage. Eyewitnesses said there were no firefighters on site during the early stages, as staff attempted to contain the flames.

“We just saw the fire this morning at a filling station popularly known as Chill Cherry,” said a passerby, identified only as Maman. Customers and passersby fled the area in fear, particularly because the station also operates a cooking gas outlet.

A customer who escaped described seeing emergency vehicles rushing to the scene, noting that the prompt response “underscores the growing synergy between federal and state fire service agencies in managing emergencies and safeguarding lives and property.”

The spokesperson of the Federal Fire Service in Plateau State, CSF EE Anzolo, confirmed the incident, saying, “Men of Plateau State Fire Service are on the ground to handle the situation.” The cause of the fire was yet to be determined at the time of reporting.