Wild fire razes part of Guinness brewery in Aba

January 19, 2019

By Ijendu Iheaka

A wild fire on Friday engulfed one arm of the Guinness Nigeria Plc, Aba brewery razing bottles, Chemicals, Office structures and furniture worth billions of naira to ashes.

Firefighters were still working hard to contain the fire which started at about 11 : am Friday morning until about 6:46 pm when our reporter left the scene. 

However, a visit to the scene mid-Saturday morning showed that the fire still raged on until late afternoon as only one fire-fighting vehicle was seen bringing water to stop the inferno.

Okezie Uche, Aba Fire Service Commander, told our reporter that his men reached the site at about 1 pm and had fought the fire with the help of other staff of near-bye companies who volunteered.

“We have water challenges but today, we go to NNPC to refill water. When the fire was too heavy for my men, I called Controller of Abia Fire Service, Mr V.O Gbaruko in Umuahia office to help us and he sent men and equipment.

“We used techniques with the support of NNPC which gave us a foaming chemical with which we have been using to extinguish the fire.

“Without that chemical, we could not have done much because we are fighting a highly flammable material”, he said.

Uche said the things burning at the brewery included empty bottles, and plastic crates and other materials

He said that “poor House-Keeping” might have been responsible for the fire, stressing that when the staff could not contain the fire, they called Fire Service.

 A Police Officer who spoke to our reporter under anonymity said the police got information on the fire by about 12 pm and called in the Fire Servicemen in Aba.

“They came, the Commander of MOPOL 55 also sent his men; the villagers also assisted in fighting the fire but it has not been easy as efforts were slowed down because there was no power from EEDC to pump water.

“And the water the Fire Service brought finished but the efforts continued with the help of Glover Paints who mobilized their men to bring water to help.

“When the Umuahia Fire Service Commander sent his men, they joined with the help of staff of Geometric, to contain the fire to this level”, he said.

He assured that the fire would be over before 6pm following combined efforts adding that the fire which reached nearby NNPC Gas Pipeline had been put out at that end.

  

He said the fire reached the NNPC Gas Pipeline area near the depot but when the Fire Service came, they first place they contained and all that area is safe, that was why the pipeline did not burst.

Eric Otuonye, the Station Officer in charge of Security of the Brewery said they noticed fire and smoke in the compound at about 11; 30 am from a bush nearby hence they mobilized to fight it.

He said that the fire fight had been tough as firemen from Fire Service office in Aba and Umuahia, the Staff of Clover Paints, and Guinness Nig. Plc staff fought the fire from 12 pm and were still fighting the fire.

“I think the fire has reached a chemical that has increased the fire and smoke, this is after 6 pm and if it is not put out, I do not know what will happen at night.

“I believe the fire must have started from our compound. But there is bush close to our fence on that side that the fire started that is what we are suspecting.

“But now what is important is fighting the fire, when it is over we can now trace where it started”, he said.

Otuonye said that the damage is to be estimated in billions of naira because of the numerous materials the fire had consumed.

He also said that the fire reached a substance suspected to be chemical because the flames became wilder and harder to contain and the smoke was getting thicker.

Otuonye said the brewery had been shut down already since July 2018 adding that only a few police personnel and company security who guard the brewery remained on ground.