The dry Season is always prone to many domestic, electric fire outbreaks and wildfire related incidents mostly experienced in the provinces. Early this year, the country experienced several major fire disasters that claimed lives, destroyed properties worth millions of Leones and displaced close to 1000 families. John Vandi Rogers is the Director for Disaster Management at the Office of National Security said the major causes of fire incidents range from peoples negligence with the use of candle lights, electric sparks due to unstable heavy power supply as most times people don’t switch off appliances in dwelling homes and even common in public offices and industries which according to him are great concerns that needs utmost attention from every citizen.
Apart from big towns, the villages engage in major farming activities in the dry season which require the falling of big trees and clearing of forests. These areas where most farming activities take place normally end up being burnt for proper clearing and in the process, villages close to farm areas end up being engulfed and consumed by fire because no fire belt is designed to prevent the spillover of fire in other unanticipated areas said Mr. Rogers.
Even with the responsibility of ONS and the Fire Force to sensitize the general public on fire disaster prevention and management, people have the greatest responsibility to be their first fire service security, especially in slum communities that are the most vulnerable to fire disasters. John Vandi Rogers strongly recommend that children are not left to play with fire as in many cases that has ended up in great catastrophe leading to the loss of lives and properties, noting that fire disaster among other disasters have contributed to the economic breakdown of the country.
ONS believes that even though the building structures in many areas especially for slum settings is highly exposed to the risks of fire incidents, yet, the contribution of people in adhering to prevention mechanisms will mitigate the problem.
