From Maurice Okafor,Enugu
A car fire incident that would have gutted some commercial banks and commercial motor parks yesterday afternoon occurred at the Okpara avenue/Ogbete Main market round about.But the prompt response from Enugu state fire service controlled the fuming fire which had already made motorists commuters and customers in some of the banks scampering for their safety eventually saved the situation.
The fire incident ignited from a moving Mercedes Benz car(190) model with the owner(name witheld) on stirring just a few meters to the Okpara avenue/Ogbete main market round about,awaiting on instructions from traffic officers at the round about to continue on his journey.
An eyewitness told news men that the attention of the driver was drawn to fumes that emanated from his car front bornet,stating before he could jump out his car to open his bornet,the car was already in flames.
According to him the situation got worse instantly that even other motorists both in the front and those behind him feared to come close with their own vehicle fire extinguishers. Instead they scampered for the safety of their lives and their own respective vehicles.
But fire fighters from the Ogui Road/Otigba junction of Enugu arrived promplty with their truck and other equipments before the fire from the burning car could escalate to nearby structures housing some commercial banks,Motor parks and shops along the ever busy Ogbete market round about linking Okpara avenue and Old park,Enugu.
The owner of the Mercedes car who came out of the car unhurt,even though not unconscious could not utter any word on what might caused the fire incident.
Speaking to news men thereafter,the Enugu state Chief Fire Officer, Engr Okwudiri Ohaa,said his workers at Otigba fire service station mobilised action immediately they received a ‘fstation.l’ at 1.03 pm and left immediately to the scene of the fire incident because every equipment is very much on ground at Otigba fire service station.
His words,”The success story of controlling the car fire incident along Ogbete/Okpara avenue round about,which would have caused great havoc in the city, stems on the fact that our fire officers at Otigba junction responded instantly,they received the fire call.
“We have every human and material resources adequately provided by the state government under the leadership of Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi. Therefore,we responded accordingly”.
Engr Ohaa expressed gratitude to the spirited member of the public who decided to alert his agency as the car fire raged on,stating the informant played a key role in salvaging the situation.
He pleaded with members of the public to alert his agency instantly at any point in time they observe fire incident in any part of Enugu state for a prompt response,stating under his watch the state government has equipped the agency as such they can now live up to expectations.
