Reported By Mary Udezue | Edited by: Gabriel Osa
JOS, Plateau State — Panic gripped parts of central Nigeria on Thursday morning after a major fire broke out at a petrol and cooking gas filling station along the Bukuru Expressway in Jos, forcing residents, motorists and passers‑by to flee the scene in fear of a possible explosion.
The inferno engulfed the Chill Cherry filling station, situated a short distance from the Jos South Local Government Secretariat near Gyero Roundabout, shortly after it was first noticed in the early hours of the day. Flames reportedly originated around the station’s main underground petroleum discharge tank, heightening concerns among locals about the potential for catastrophic damage.
Eyewitnesses and customers at the station described scenes of terror as smoke and fire spread rapidly, prompting panicked residents and commuters to abandon their vehicles and flee to safer ground. The situation was made more frightening by the presence of a cooking gas outlet on the same premises, increasing the perceived risk of secondary explosions.
One eyewitness, who identified himself simply as Maman, said he first noticed the blaze in the early morning and immediately left the scene with other residents fearing for their lives. “We just saw the fire this morning at a filling station popularly known as Chill Cherry,” he told reporters, underscoring the suddenness of the incident.
Eyewitness accounts further revealed that there were no firefighters on site at the onset of the blaze, with initial efforts to contain the fire undertaken by the station’s own staff. Workers at the facility were seen desperately attempting to control the spreading flames ahead of emergency responders’ arrival.
By mid‑morning, emergency vehicles — including at least two emergency response units — were observed speeding toward the scene, suggesting an active effort by federal and state fire agencies to contain the crisis. A local customer who escaped recounted seeing the rapid response and expressed hope that the coordinated efforts would prevent loss of life and further property damage.
The Federal Fire Service in Plateau State, through its spokesperson CSF E.E. Anzolo, confirmed that personnel from the Plateau State Fire Service had been deployed and were actively managing the situation on the ground, though an official cause of the fire had not been determined at the time of reporting.
The scale of destruction — and whether there were any casualties — remains unclear as emergency teams continue firefighting operations and safety assessments. Authorities have yet to release definitive information on the origin of the blaze or the extent of financial losses incurred by the station and surrounding businesses.
Incidents involving fuel facilities often raise concerns about safety standards, regulatory oversight and rapid emergency response capacity, especially given the volatile nature of petroleum products. In recent years, similar crises have drawn attention to the risks associated with storage and dispensing infrastructure when situated near densely populated or high‑traffic areas.
As residents and motorists continue to avoid the area, safety officials are expected to issue updates on containment efforts and any necessary evacuations or traffic diversions. Local authorities have urged the public to remain clear of the affected zone and comply with directives aimed at preventing secondary injuries or further escalation of the blaze.
Emergency services are also anticipated to investigate whether equipment failures, human error, or procedural lapses contributed to the outbreak of the fire, with preliminary assessments likely to inform future safety protocols for filling stations statewide.
The incident underscores ongoing infrastructure and safety challenges in critical service sectors and has renewed calls from civil society organisations for stricter enforcement of fire safety regulations, improved emergency preparedness, and enhanced community awareness campaigns to minimise the risk of similar events.
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