James Kon
Twenty-eight fire incidents were reported last Ramadhan (April-May 2021), said the Fire and Rescue Department (FRD), and from the figure, 21 calls were for house fires with an estimated loss of BND334,600, while seven calls were for building fires.
Statistics on structural fire calls were shared by Public Relations Officer of Operation ‘A’ Branch Muhammad Hazwan bin Mawang during a press conference yesterday.
He warned that a fire can occur anytime in any house or building as long as there are fire risks.
“The majority of houses in the country are not equipped with firefighting equipment tools such as fire extinguishers, fire blankets and smoke detectors,” he said.
“With fire safety awareness and equipment, it can reduce the number of losses, injuries and even deaths,” he said.
The officer advised the public to take responsibility by not neglecting fire safety.
He said taking early preventive measures should not be performed only ahead of festivities, but be part of a daily practice.
Muhammad Hazwan said the common causes of fire are electrical faults, such as overloading, overheating, short circuit and loose connections, as well as leaving cooking unattended and leakage of LPG’s hose.
“People must always pay attention to safety and preventive measures by ensuring homes are equipped with firefighting equipment,” he said, adding that an action plan must be drawn up in case of fire.
For Ramadhan stalls vendors, he said, “They need to make sure that gas heads and LPG hoses meet the safety standards. Never leave cooking unattended and equip stalls with fire extinguishers, two kilogrammes of dry powder and fire blankets.”
The FRD provides fire safety programmes such as the Fire Marshal Course, Life Saver 995 and Fire Safety Briefing, for the public to learn about fire safety in dealing with emergencies.
