The Kano State Fire Service says 20 persons were killed and property worth N5.6 million destroyed in different fire incidents in the state in August.

Mr Saminu Abdullahi, spokesman of the service, gave the statistics in a statement on Wednesday in Kano.

Mr Abdullahi said that the service also saved 102 lives and property worth N14.7 million in 16 fire incidents in the state during the period.

He said the service received emergency calls from 27 fire stations across the state in the period review.

“The service responded to 81 rescue calls and 14 false alarms from residents of the state,” he added.

Mr Abdullahi attributed most of the fire incidents in the state to careless handling of cooking gas and the use of inferior electrical appliances.

He advised residents to always handle fire with care to prevent an outbreak.

The spokesman also urged parents to stop their wards from swimming in ponds and monitor their movement.

There have been fatal cases of inferno reported in Kano recently.

Two family members were killed in a fire around the Kano Zoological Garden.

In March, offices were destroyed at the Bukavu Army Barracks, spokesman Sami Yusuf said.