The Anambra State Government has expressed worry over the incessant fire outbreaks being recorded in different parts of the state.
The state Commissioner for Special Duties, Beverly Ikpeazu-Nkemdiche, expressed this concern in a press statement on Sunday while urging the residents to prioritise fire safety measures in residential and public buildings, markets, and other business premises.
This follows the two fire incidents recorded on Friday at a residential building at Rockland Estate, Awka, and at a telecommunication mast in Agu Awka.
Already, the state has recorded about 24 fire incidents between September 2023 and February 16, 2024.
In January 2024, there were about nine fire incidents in different parts of the state, while about eight fire outbreaks occurred in February.
Ikpeazu-Nkemdiche said, “This gives grave concerns, especially given the fact that most of the incidents were preventable.”
This is just as another fire outbreak occurred behind the male hostel at the Nnamdi Azikiwe University late on Saturday.
The state fire chief, Martin Agbili, who confirmed the incident, said the fire started from a bush, and firefighters prevented it from entering the male hostel after several hours of battling to put it out.
Agbili said, “At about 4.45 pm on Saturday, Anambra State Fire Service received a distress call of heavy bush fire behind the male hostel at Unizik.
“We immediately deployed our firefighting truck and firefighters to the scene of the fire and prevented it from entering the male hostel.
“We fought, controlled, and extinguished the fire with the assistance of some UNIZIK security personnel and some students.”
While the commissioner, on her part, commended the firefighters, she emphasised the need for residents of the state to partner with the state government in preventing fire.
She said, “While the Anambra State Fire Service headed must be commended for averting the fires and preventing any loss of human life and huge loss of property, there is need that Ndị Anambra partner the state government to prevent fires from happening at all.
“They are advised to always ensure that all electrical appliances are switched off when not in use; that repairs and engineering works on electrical connections are carried out by trained professionals; avoid indiscriminate bush burning; install fire extinguishers or hydrants where necessary; and invite the state fire service to conduct thorough fire audits in residential and public buildings under construction.
“Some of these measures are necessary to prevent these fire outbreaks. The state government promises on its part to increase the response time of the state fire service to any fire emergency anywhere in the state through the acquisition of more fire trucks, training of personnel, and setting up of fire stations in all the 21 local government areas and closer to all the major markets in the state.”