₦airaland Forum

It is not uncommon for fuel tankers to burst into flames on the streets of Lagos, Nigeria's largest city. For the last decade photographer Akintunde Akinleye has been capturing the moment firemen turn up:

https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/976/media/images/83400000/jpg/_83400575_firemen-web-5.jpg


https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/660/media/images/83400000/jpg/_83400576_firemen_web_2.jpg
Fuel tanker explosions are so common in Lagos that local media have been known to report multiple fires in one night.


https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/660/media/images/83400000/jpg/_83400577_firemen-web-8.jpg
The state governor Akinwunmi Ambode recently blamed frequent tanker explosions on drivers' carelessness causing crashes. Bad brakes have also been blamed.


https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/660/media/images/83400000/jpg/_83400578_firemen_web_10.jpg
The fire service is not well equipped for a city the size of Lagos. There are very few fire-fighting vehicles and they have been known to go to the scene of a fire without water.


https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/660/media/images/83400000/jpg/_83400579_firemen_web-1.jpg
The fire service in Lagos is not a particularly big one - there are 13 fire stations in a city of about 20 million people. Its equipment is also not designed to cope with Lagos' many high-rise buildings.



https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/660/media/images/83400000/jpg/_83400580_firemen-web_4.jpg
However, it is the best-equipped service in Nigeria, though the firemen risk their lives for poor pay. Fire is not the only risk - they have been attacked by angry people who accuse them of arriving late.



https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/660/media/images/83404000/jpg/_83404432_firemen-web-9.jpg
Firemen are also vulnerable to attacks from people who do not want them to put out fires so they can use the confusion of a fire outbreak to loot.



https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/660/media/images/83404000/jpg/_83404431_firemen-web-3.jpg
Reports after this fire in 2012 said people tried to loot this wreckage of a plane. It had fallen from the sky and burst into flames when it hit a printing works.


To These Brave Men who risked their lives day in day out to fight fire situations in and all around lagos despite being poorly equipped. I think they deserve our respect just like we accord to the police and military wings of the Nigerian forces. This thread is dedicated to them and to help make their voices heard with an echo sound that it is time they should be given proper attention by equipping them the more with sophisticated tools to help fight fire considering the rampaging incidence of fire all around lagos this past weeks.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-32397007

Ok

Tanker bombers everywhere

Babaonechance (AKA) dullard of nigeria well done

That poster above me just Saraki'ed my mandate, I suppose 2b d Thirdus Du Commentus..

Photoshop .. how could the firemen look so comfortable behind a raging fire??

Only the last picture looks real..

Kudos to our firemen still.....

Deserved heroes!!!



Men like these should be celebrated.

Nice one

These are heroes to be celebrated.

Not one drunken master losing election and accepting the result.

Or rogue politicians cross carpeting per seconds because of personal ambitions.

Nice one

Ok

cant view your pix man

good work by the firefighter

Dancing shoki.. FTC here i cum.. Dedicate this land to our u-20 players

.....And I don't know why the second man in the third picture is smiling amidst a disaster!

Weldone boys.

Nigerians are always great, irrespective of their field of endeavor

Firemen are always HOT!!
God bless their hustle!

nawa ooo!!

These are the real hero
God keep you all

Abeg which 9Ja Emergency number dey go?

One of the most '' Behind '' jobs in america.

With no TAP water all over the state

Na which kind foolish person dey start build im house from the roof?

APC is about useless change!

Good one and bravo to these men.
However, we must keep this thread on until it gets to the right authorities to equip the firemen properly. Imagine fighting fire on rubber safety boot.

Cool, I love the first pic

Brave men unlike the police.

Permit me to say.... it's colourful and beautiful....
Though not what we pray for