Anambra Under Obiano Has Witnessed 146 Fire Outbreaks , Says Anambra Fire Service Deputy Head , Mr Innocent Mbaonu

The Anambra Fire Service has so far recorded 146 fire outbreaks in the past 11 months, the Deputy Head of Fire Service in the state, Mr Innocent Mbonu, said in Awka on Friday.

www.odogwublog.com reports that Mbonu, who announced this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), said that the incidents occurred between January and November.

According to him, we received about 150 fire calls in the state, out of which four were false, while 146 were actual fire incidents.

Mbonu, who is also in-charge of fire prevention and administration, said that the Onitsha division recorded the highest fire incidents because of the vulnerability of the commercial centre.

He explained that the Onitsha main market recorded 34 fire incidents during the period, while the Okpoko fire station, near Onitsha, recorded 40 incidents.

Others are Awka (35), Nnewi (20), Nkpor (14) and Ekwulobia (three).

“There has been an increase in fire incidents in the state because of the people’s carelessness.

"This is occasioned by carelessness in the usage of electrical appliances, petroleum products, generators, fireworks, indiscriminate bush burning.

“While we are making frantic efforts to reduce fire incidents, we want the public to cooperate by being mindful of how they handle things that can result to fire outbreaks, such as fireworks, electrical appliances and bush burning, among others,” Mbonu said.

He announced that the state government was constructing six additional fire stations at Ihiala, Otuocha, Umunze, Agulu, Nnewi and Onitsha, to bring the total fire stations in the state to 14.

He commended the state government for providing equipment to the state fire service but said that there was need to do more, especially for the new fire stations nearing completion.

Mbonu also appealed to the state government to kindly approve its request for the recruitment of more personnel.

“What we are targeting is not fire-fighting but rather fire prevention, and we need more hands to carry out public enlightenment,” he added.