The Federal Fire Service, Zone J Command comprising Imo and Abia states, says it received no fewer than 110 fire calls between November 2020 and November 2021.
The Assistant Controller-General of the command, Ijeoma Achi, made the disclosure in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Owerri on Thursday.
Achi also said that the command saved property worth N6 billion from fire outbreaks within the period.
She said the command received five fire calls in April, eight in October and four in November this year, as well as calls to rescue articulated vehicles that spilled petroleum products on the roads.
The commander attributed the major causes of fire incidents in the zone to carelessness, refuse and bush burning, and indiscriminate hoarding of petroleum products.
“Residents must be safety conscious at all time.
“Now that Yuletide and dry season have set in, youths must be careful about the way they ignite fireworks,” Achi warned.
She also urged residents to see fire fighters as their friend, noting that it had never been the wish of the service to respond late to fire calls.
“The problem we usually have is that they don’t call us on time, more often, we receive calls when victims had failed in their efforts to quench fire.
“We advocate that the fire service should be called upon immediately fire erupts in their area,” she advised.
Achi cautioned people against damaging fire trucks over perceived late arrival to fire scene, saying “we will not hesitate to blacklist such area, if we are attacked”.
“We cannot put the lives of our men, who have families in jeopardy.
“Someone comes to do something for free and at the end, you maim the person and expect the person to come another day; it does not work that way,” Achi warned. (NAN)
