Abakaliki – The Director of Fire Service in Ebonyi, Mr Herbert Nwokoha, has said that it recorded 16 fire outbreaks between Dec. 12 and Dec. 29.
He listed some of the places where the fires occurred to include the rice mill on Dec. 12, Ishieke on Dec. 19 with two casualties, Ugwuachara on Dec. 16, Capital Development Territory and Government House on Dec. 16 and Anikwe Street and Ebebe Junction on Dec. 17.
Nwokoha told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abakaliki on Tuesday that the service had set up two public awareness units on fire prevention and enlightenment to curtail incidences of fire in the state.
He said that the units were to educate the residents on fire prevention and fighting to reduce its impact whenever it occurred.
“We believe more in fire prevention than fighting; that is why we still go round disseminating our hand bills on control measures to prevent fire due to its regular occurrence now.
“We advise the public to switch off electrical appliances at home, offices, markets and other buildings.
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“The people of Ebonyi are also advised to engage professionals during electrical connections, avoid over loading electrical sockets and control firewood when in use.
“Our emergency telephone lines are always available 24 hours for operation,’’ Nwokoha said.
He warned hunters and farmers to avoid indiscriminate bush burning as wind could aid fire to spread from one place to another.
“Hunters and farmers must avoid bush burning, especially now that the residents of the cities traveled to the villages because fire is a good servant but a destructive master,” he warned. (NAN)
