The Osun Fire and Rescue Services recorded 137 fire outbreaks in the state in 2019.
Mr Michael Ogundipe, the Director of the service, made this known during an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Osogbo on Monday.
Ogundipe attributed the fire outbreaks to carelessness, arson, and ignorance in handling naked fire by the people.
He said fire outbreaks were more prevalent in the dry season because fire outbreaks got easily escalated during the period.
“The high rate of fire outbreaks are common around October till March because this period is the core dry season, harmattan season.
“The cause of the fire is the same between the dry and raining season, but the major difference this period is a bush fire caused by people hunting for animals or doing bush burning to clear out weeds,” he said.
Ogundipe said that between January and March 2019, a total of 50 fire outbreaks were recorded in the state with the month of February recording the highest number of fire incidents with 24 fire outbreaks.
“The service received seven false fire alarm calls and recorded three loss of lives in all the fire outbreaks under the period in review.
“The estimate of property lost in all the fire incidents is recorded at N1, 547,496,220, while the month of November recorded the highest loss with property worth N1,049,400,000 destroyed by fire,” he said.
Ogundipe advised people to take preventive measures against fire outbreak stating that the only language fire understood is prevention.
“Fire Prevention Unit of the state fire service is going roundhouses, offices, schools, markets, and worship Centers to sensitise people on fire preventive measures and what to do in cases of fire outbreaks,’’ he said.
Ogundipe advised people to always call the fire service first any time there was fire outbreak, adding that calling the fire service after battling fire unsuccessfully would cause more damage and total destruction of property. (NAN)
