Osun Fire Service records 137 fire outbreaks in 2018

Wed, Feb 6, 2019 | By publisher


Disasters

THE Osun Fire and Rescue Services on Wednesday said it recorded 137 fire outbreaks in the state between January and December, 2018.

Mr Adekunle Ibrahim, the Staff Officer for the Service, made the disclosure in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Osogbo.

Ibrahim said the fire outbreaks were caused mainly by carelessness, arson and ignorance about handling of naked fires.

He stated that fire outbreaks were more prevalence in the state between October and April, because the period was the “core dry season where fire outbreaks get easily escalated.

“The high rate of fire outbreak was common around October-November till March-April because this period is the core dry season.

“The causes of fire are, however, the same between the dry and raining season but the difference is bush fire, caused by people hunting for animals or people burning bushes to clear weeds,” he said.

He stated that between January and April 2018, a total of 66 fire outbreaks were recorded in the state with the month of January recording the highest number of 23 fire outbreaks.

“The Service also received four false alarms of fire incidents, while there was no record of loss of lives in all the fire outbreaks recorded during the period under review.

“The estimate of property lost in all the fire incidents is close to a billion naira with N521,200,000 estimated property lost to fire in the month of June alone,” he said.

He advised residents to take preventive measures against fire outbreak, saying “the only language fire understands is prevention.”

He said the “Fire Prevention Unit” of the service has been going to houses, offices, schools, markets and worship centres to sensitise people to fire preventive measures and what to do in case of outbreak.

He advised people to always call the service first any time there is fire outbreak, saying “calling fire service after battling fire outbreak unsuccessfully would cause more damage and total destruction to property.” (NAN)

– Feb. 6, 2019 @ 12:55 GMT |

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