Fire breaks out at Apapa fuel terminal, firefighters contain blaze
A fire erupted at the Bono Energy Terminal in Apapa, Lagos, prompting an emergency response from the Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service.
A fire broke out on Friday at the Bono Energy Terminal in the Coconut area of Olodi Apapa, Lagos, prompting an emergency response from the Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service (LSFRS). The incident occurred at the fuel terminal located along the Apapa-Oworonshoki Expressway, although authorities had yet to determine the cause of the fire as of the time of filing this report.
The LSFRS stated that firefighters were at the scene working to contain the blaze and prevent it from spreading to nearby facilities. In a brief statement shared on Friday, the agency’s spokesperson, Shakiru Amodu, noted that emergency responders had been deployed to tackle the incident. “The Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service is currently curbing a fire explosion at Bono Energy Terminal on Apapa-Oworonshoki Expressway, by Coconut, Olodi Apapa, Lagos. Update to follow,” Mr Amodu said. There was no immediate information on casualties or the extent of damage caused by the fire.
The incident has raised concerns because Apapa is home to several petroleum storage facilities and other critical industrial infrastructure, making rapid emergency response essential whenever fires occur in the area. Fire outbreaks at petroleum storage facilities pose significant risks to lives, property and the environment, particularly in densely industrialised areas such as Apapa. Prompt containment is critical to preventing secondary explosions and disruption to fuel distribution.
The fire at Bono Energy Terminal is the latest in a series of industrial incidents in Lagos. In 2024, a fire at a tank farm in the same area raised similar concerns about safety protocols and emergency response capacity. The pattern is consistent: petroleum storage facilities in densely populated industrial zones face significant fire risks, and while the Lagos fire service responds, the underlying safety issues remain unresolved.
Apapa is Nigeria’s busiest port and a critical node in the country’s fuel distribution network. Any major incident at a terminal there can disrupt fuel supply across the country, affecting everything from petrol prices to industrial production. The response was swift, but the fire service does not prevent fires; it reacts to them. The question is whether the terminal operators and regulators are doing enough to prevent the next one.
The winners: the Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service, which contained the blaze. The losers: the residents of Olodi Apapa, who face ongoing risks from industrial fires, and the Federal Government, which must explain why a terminal in a critical industrial zone was allowed to catch fire.
Bottom Line: A fire at a fuel terminal in Apapa. No casualties reported. The question is whether the next one will be this lucky.