Alhaji Garba Muhammad, the Commandant, Jigawa Command, Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), on Sunday gave residents tips on how to prevent fire outbreak during harmattan season.
Muhammad said the tips were necessary to avoid fire disasters especially in the rural areas where thatch houses were many.
According to him, the NSCDC Act 2007, allows this as stakeholders in Disaster Management and an agency saddled with the responsibility of securing lives and property.
Muhammad said in a statement signed by the Command’s Spokesman, Adamu Shehu, that the command was obligated to alert people to be careful in handling fire and heating equipment in homes and offices.
The statement was issued in reaction to a fire incident which occurred in Hadejia town and caused the death of a one-year-old baby girl and loss of property worth millions of naira.
“To avoid further occurrence, the public should be cautious because most fire mishaps happened during harmattan because of the need to keep rooms warm or boil water for bathing and other purposes.
“In the process, people tend to forget and sleep without putting off the heating equipment or the fire source.
”Office workers must ensure they switch off all electronic appliances before closing and sometime, fire incidents occurred through leaving ignited firewood after cooking.
“Therefore, residents, particularly rural dwellers, must be careful while using fire during harmattan.
“This is because fire, particularly during the harmattan, can escalate and consume valuables, including houses and even human lives,” he said.
Muhammad said that house wives should ensure that they quenched fire used after cooking to avoid fire outbreak.
He advised that people should also be careful while using candles and kerosene lanterns in their homes, as they were capable of causing fire outbreak.
According to him, it is equally important for people to obtain emergency numbers of the NSCDC Disaster Management Unit and that of the Federal and State Fire Services in case of of emergencies.
Muhammad said that the command would continue to sensitise the public on the dangers posed by the harmattan as regards fire outbreak.
