The Oyo State Fire Service Agency said it recorded 249 fire cases in the state from January to October.

The agency’s Director of Operations, Mr Ismail Adeleke, disclosed this in Ibadan, the state capital.

Mr Adeleke said that the estimated property lost during the incidents stood at N1.865 billion.

The director said that the agency received 53 rescue calls, saved property estimated at N8.341 billion and recorded two building collapses in the period.

He said that the agency, as a stakeholder in fire service prevention, had highlighted several programmes that would assist to reduce incessant outbreaks of fire in the state as the dry season approached.

“It is the responsibility of the fire service to protect lives, property and businesses in the state against fire disaster. In an environment where fire is minimal or does not occur at all, that society will be economically buoyant.

“An environment where there is a fire disaster, the government will be spending money on renovation, reconstruction and palliatives to fire disaster victims and that will affect the economy of that society,” he said.

Mr Adeleke said there was no way the society could be 100 per cent free of fire disaster in as much as it’s developing technologically.

He said that many people carelessly handled things such as electricity, air conditioners, vehicles which are related to fire and served as comfort of lives.

The director attributed major causes of fire disaster in the state to human carelessness and ignorance, saying most people didn’t know the havoc fire could cause until it happened.

“Fire can strike at any time as much as all that we are using is driven by fire, before fire can occur, there are three major components which are heat, oxygen and combustible, if all these come together in a sufficient percentage, fire will occur.

“We have to be careful of anything that uses electricity, avoid storing petrol, diesel and any other combustible in the house, avoid overloading of electrical circuits and remove electrical appliances when not in use,” he said.

Mr Adeleke further urged the people of Oyo State to desist from bush burning, avoid indiscriminate burning of refuse and heaps in market places and surroundings during the dry season.

(NAN)