Osun Fire Service, on Monday, said it recorded 70 fire outbreaks in the state between January and December 2023.
The 2023 Osun State Fire Incident Record, obtained by the News Agency of Nigeria in Osogbo on Monday, put the property lost to fire outbreaks in the year under review at N1.45bn.
The record showed that January, May and December 2023 had the highest cases of fire outbreaks, with 13 fire cases recorded in January and property estimated at N302m destroyed.
“In May, 12 fire outbreaks were also recorded, with property worth N715m lost, while eight cases of fire disasters were recorded in December, with property worth N25 million destroyed by fire.
“Property worth 30.9bn were recorded saved from fire outbreaks, with no loss of lives recorded during the fire incidents,” the report said.
Speaking on the record, the spokesman for the fire service, Adekunle Ibrahim, said majority of the fire outbreaks were caused by carelessness on the part of the citizens.
He said, “The careless ways people deal with electronics and electrical appliances at home and how they also handle naked fire often serve as catalysts for fire outbreaks.”
Adekunle, however, said the agency was always sensitising residents, market women, religious bodies, banks, business owners and others on how to prevent and manage fire outbreaks.
“We have been sensitising the people and enlightening them to be very careful about how to handle naked fire as well as steps to be taken in cases of fire outbreaks.
“We have also been enlightening them on the need to properly take care of electrical appliances to prevent fire outbreaks”, he said.
The spokesman said that the fire service had intensified fire safety awareness in the state, adding that it had also gone around to train hoteliers and others on fire safety and prevention methods.
“We have also been going round banks in the state to inspect their fire safety equipment and also enlighten them on what to do in cases of fire outbreaks,” he said.
In a similar development, many people were feared injured in an explosion that occurred in a filling station located in Lagere, Ile-Ife, Osun State, in January this year.
In November 2023, an early morning fire destroyed goods worth millions of naira in Oja Tuntun, the biggest market in Ile-Ife, Osun State.
Before that incident, between July 2019 and December 2020, the market experienced three fire incidents which destroyed many shops and goods.
The spokesman advised residents to always unplug their electrical appliances when not in use and turn off their electricity while leaving home.
He also urged them to be mindful of bush burning, especially during the dry season, as well as their activities in the kitchen, as lots of domestic fire outbreaks start from there.
NAN
