Over 55 makeshift buildings were destroyed on Tuesday following a fire outbreak along Chikewolu street, NTA Akpara link road in Port Harcourt. It is not clear what caused the fire but residents had resulted to self help after the federal fire service failed to respond to several frantic calls. A caretaker of one of the buildings Innocent Nyeche told our reporter that the fire damaged properties worth millions of naira, that before some victim of the incidents could get to the scene, their properties were already destroyed.
Reacting to this and the fire outbreak that happened on the 25th of December 2023, a health safety and environment consultant Onyi Kenneth advised citizens to avoid items that are capable of causing fire outbreak like storing fuel, illegal bunkering and many others this harmattan season. He explained that during this harmattan, things get ignited very easily. Mr. Kenneth in an interview with our reporter said oxygen, heat and fuel are dangerous element in fire out break. He said in fire prevention, the first thing to look out for is to ensure these three elements are never found together. He further explain that it takes man made activities to bring down heat, and one of the ways to prevent fire outbreak is to make sure that these three elements don’t find themselves together, and also to create awareness associated with fire.
The health safety and environment consultant also blamed government agencies for not putting up polices and measures to stop the incident of fire outbreak. He however urge the government and the media to come in by way of carrying out campaigns and sensitisation that will educate the people on causes and prevention of fire outbreak.
