Guardian

Experts list causes, proffer solutions to the incessant fire outbreaks across the nation

IT has been described as the greatest servant but the worst master- difficult to control when it turns into a conflagration- as it rages on, burning and scorching everything on its path.

And it has no respect for anyone, not even the monarchy. It started around 6am last Wednesday and lasted three hours. By the time firemen managed to put it out, the fire that razed the palace of one of the prominent monarchs of Yorubaland, the Alaafin of Oyo, Oba Lamidi Adeyemi III, the raging inferno had almost wiped out all the historical relics in the palace.

The monarch’s wife and princesses lost all their valuables to the inferno. The inferno, which was caused by power surge in one of the rooms in the palace, also destroyed the artifacts, ornaments and traditional relics of the people of Yorubaland kept in the apartment of the oloris. In all, 21 rooms were razed by the conflagration.

This is one in the series of fire outbreaks that has happened in quick successions in the last 10 days or so, across the nation. From the Jankara Market in Lagos to the INEC office in Abuja, ex-president Olusegun Obasanjo’s Hilltop mansion in Abeokuta, the MRS Tank Farm at Tin Can Island, Apapa, the plank market at Oko-baba in Lagos, to mention just a few, it has been a rage of fire as if the “god of fire” was angry at the nation.

Just two days ago, the palace of the Oyo Monarch, was razed, as a barge exploded at Tin Can Island, causing pandemonium in Apapa. The twin incidents in Oyo and Lagos States capped the catalogue of one-too-many-fire outbreaks in the country.

The incidents brings to mind the 2011 fire outbreak in which residents of Aduloju Community along Iwo-Ojoo Road in Ojoo Area of Ibadan watched helplessly as fire from an oil tanker burnt their loved ones to ashes.

More than 26 people, including a nursing mother, died in the incident while several others suffered various degrees of burns. Those who suffered burns were rushed to hospitals for medical attention.

Properties were also not spared in the inferno and cars worth millions of naira were burnt to ashes. Eight buildings, including a church, were also destroyed by the fire.

In a similar event, houses and other properties were destroyed by the fire that occurred in Onopa, Yenagoa. The incident also claimed some lives, among them a pregnant woman.

A pregnant woman and her son had just returned from a funeral when the incident happened. The woman was tired and immediately retired to her room. She was asleep when the fire started and gutted her apartment.

According to residents, the fire could not be put out until after five hours.

Sources revealed that the fire started when a dealer in adulterated fuel was refueling a generator set that was on. Then there was a spark, which resulted in the fire that spread to the whole community destroying many houses and other properties as already stated. No fewer than 50 houses were destroyed in the inferno.

Fire outbreak in the country has indeed assumed an alarming proportion. In Nigeria today, there is barely a day without one accident or the other and most has to do with fire outbreak.

They were outbreaks caused by many factors. Storing of petrol in living houses and markets is one of the factors. Other causes include careless disposal of cigarette stubs in living houses, markets and offices. Adulterated fuel also causes fire. Power surge, electric sparks, illegal connection of electricity, lighted match, stoves, cookers and gas cylinders are all sources of fire.

From electrical faults in homes and offices, to firecrackers in marketplace or petrol tanker explosion on busy streets, lives and millions worth of properties are lost in the process.

The rate at which these fire outbreaks occur is becoming worrisome calling to question the effectiveness of the emergency services in the country.

With the exception of a few cases where fire fighters have responded on time to distress calls and quelling infernos on time, in most cases, it has always been tales of inefficiency on the part of the fire service that always complain of lack of equipment to do their job.

For example, the men of the Rivers State Fire Service could not respond to the Ikoku Spare Parts Market inferno because the tyres of the only available vehicle were reportedly damaged. Fire service vehicles and machines hardly undergo repairs nor are they stocked with enough water and hydrants for them to respond to numerous emergencies.

A top official of the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) noted that NEMA had come under severe criticisms in the recent past over levels of response to disaster in the country.

The official who spoke on condition of anonymity told The Guardian that though the increasing spate of fire incidence was worrisome, added that it could not be entirely blamed on management agencies in the country.

According to him: “There are many issues surrounding response to emergencies than the public knows of. Yes, the agencies might be labeled as slow in responding to calls but in what ways are the residents helping the agencies to carry out their duty? How accessible are the connecting routes or well planned are out major cities? How well funded and equipped are the fire services in our states and the Local Government Areas?”

He observed that while the Federal Government had invested in emergency response and care services, most of the states and Local governments have no structure in place for crises management.

Assistant Director, Planning Research and Forecasting NEMA, Benjamin Ogbenah had earlier said that the agency was only the coordinating agency of different specialized agencies responsible for disaster management.

“Disaster management is the coordination and integration of all activities necessary to build, sustain and improve the capacity for disaster prevention, mitigation, preparedness, response and recovery. Disaster management is multi-sectoral and NEMA is the coordinating organ, ensuring that all disciplines work in coordinated manner,” he said.

Ogbenah urged states of the federation and local government to have disaster management and response plan for all kinds of hazards to “ensure that we minimize loss of lives and reduce dysfunctional service in times of crises.”

He added that disaster management was just gaining interest of the people and there is the need to ensure capacity development up to the local level.

Sidi in his keynote address explained that there is difference between hazard, disaster and emergency.

“When hazards like flooding occur, inability of the affected people to cope makes it a disaster and emergency crises. If something happens in a place now, I am sure that you will not wait for NEMA in Abuja or Ikeja to get here. What can the immediate residents do? That is where NEMA is concerned and we are trying to build capacity of local people and availability of equipment so they can do something pending the time that the specialized agencies would arrive.

“Local governments can at least have basic equipment to respond first to emergency pending when other specialized agencies will arrive. But do they have a reserved fund for emergency management?” he queried.

In fact from July 20, 2012 to date, three fire incidents were reported in Port Harcourt alone; the NTA Abakaliki office was gutted, and there was a minor fire outbreak at the Murtala Mohammed International Airport, Ikeja, Lagos few days to the last Christmas.

This, according to an analyst, explains why General Muhammadu Buhari (rtd), in his condolence message to Governor Babatunde Fashola of Lagos State on the Jankara fire incident, urged Nigerians to obey the laws banning the manufacture, importation and storage of combustible items in order to avoid the type of losses in life and property that struck Lagosians in Jankara.

He said it had become necessary that Nigerians be sufficiently sensitized to the inherent dangers of not obeying laws that could help ward off avoidable fire disasters and the accompanying losses and pains.

“This seems imperative, given the fact that the country is currently witnessing the harmattan season, where any little bit of carelessness could lead to a grave disaster.

“There is the need to be alert to avoid fires that can lead to the loss of lives, monumental damage to property and sources of livelihood. In addition, with fuel scarcity biting harder all over the country, it is also important Nigerians are advised to avoid storing petroleum products in their houses, as any careless handling of such highly inflammable products can lead to regrets.

“As in many other climes, the country cannot wish away fire incidents; but the fire services should be kitted and made to be more effective in the performance of their statutory duties. It is a sad commentary that whenever such incidents occur, they are always found wanting.

“Quite regrettably is that workers of such an important and sensitive institution always panic and run from pillar to post in search of water and other materials needed to control fire. It is this type of ineptitude that has made members of the public look down on fire service personnel as “layabouts”, and react negatively to them any time they are found at the scene of fire incidents.

“Fire fighting is a very challenging job that requires proper training and regular re-orientation to be able to perform effectively and efficiently. Besides, it is important that the equipment and materials of the fire-fighting sector are constantly updated.”

“The longstanding experience of confronting fire outbreaks with obsolete equipment and materials is objectionable. The situation should be reversed. By the same token, appropriate government agencies should enforce the regulation requiring the installation of fire extinguishers in high-rise buildings,” he said.

Head of the Lagos State Fire Service, Mr. Rasak Fadipe said there was the need to put preventive measures in place by households. He encouraged private homes to keep fire extinguishers handy for immediate use in case of emergency and promptly alert the nearest fire service station

According to the Fire Fighters’ fact sheet, no fewer than 990 lives were lost in 7,129 fire incidents in the country in 2010 as property worth over N53m were destroyed during the same period.

The intervention of the fire service saved 9,771 persons from death and property valued at over N2m just as the various fire stations responded to 558 fire calls.

The Federal Fire Service recorded the highest fatality rate of 288 deaths, followed by Kano State with 268 persons while Kebbi and Adamawa recorded no casualties though they experienced 144 and 69 fire incidents respectively.

Ogun State, with 10 fire stations, lost property worth N26, 095, 80 while the FFS which had 19 stations spread across nine state capitals, recorded a loss of property worth N11,687,40.

The data for a number of states including Lagos, Borno, Cross River, Ebonyi, Jigawa, Ondo, Rivers and Taraba were not available.

At least 69 people were killed in fire incidents in Abuja in 2012, the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, Bala Mohammed said recently.

Mohammed said property worth N765 million were also destroyed during the period.

He said the Abuja Fire Service received 486 fire calls as well as 103 rescue calls during the period.

The fire service also saved a total of 239 lives and property worth N3.2 billion in the past year within Abuja and its environs.

While he commended officers of the FCT fire service for their performance so far, the minister assured Abuja residents of the continuous efforts by his administration to protect lives and property form fire.

He also admonished officers of the Abuja Fire Service to improve on their services and achievements in the New Year.

In another report, no fewer than 223 people were killed in various fire incidents in Rivers between January and November 2012.

The state Director of Fire Service, Oshogharhe Powa, said that 84 persons were rescued from the fire disasters, while it saved property worth N17.37 billion during the period in review.

He, however, said property worth N1.26 billion were lost in the incidents, adding that Port Harcourt city and Obiakpo Local Government Area top list of places with high fire outbreaks.

According to him, fire occurs more in residential buildings, especially houses built with woods and zinc, from electrical spark caused by illegal connection.

“Some residents also caused the fire by refilling kerosene in their cooking stove and lanterns while they were on and some used candle light without holding it with the right stand,’’ he said.

No fewer than 31 people lost their lives, while property worth N226.9 million were destroyed in 162 fire incidents that occurred in Osun State between January and December.

The Director of the Osun State Fire Service, Timothy Ogunje said the service was able to rescue 12 victims of fire incidents and saved property worth N31.5 billion during the period.

He said that the use of substandard electrical equipment was the major cause of fire outbreaks, noting that substandard products would hardly resist electrical surge and spark in any building. He advised the members of the public to always endeavour to purchase genuine electrical equipment and to contact experts in house wiring and other installations.

Similarly, town-planning professionals in their views identified concern over negligence of the public and conversion of residential spaces to commercial spaces.

Chairman Lagos chapter Association of Town Planning Consultants, (ATOPON) Mr. Bisi Adedire in his assessment, explained that negligence could be majorly attributed to the problems of fire outbreaks.

According to him, the use of cheap and substandard materials have been majorly associated with fire incidents, as “Many people who store wood and other inflammable materials don’t use the required storage spaces and building materials that can prevent fire disasters.

Adedire further added that planning authorities most times give approvals for residential buildings that are later converted for commercial purposes, which also compounds the problem.

“It is left for the government to enforce planning regulations and check the illegal conversion of such spaces. Also there needs to be proper education and awareness of the public on how to prevent fire outbreaks” he added.

Corroborating this, Public Relations Officer, Nigeria Institute of Town Planners (NITP), Lagos state, Mr. Emmanuel Owokade stressed that poor adherence to planning standards is the bane of the problem.

Owokade who identified other problems such as improper use of spacing of building and substandard materials called for the enforcement of National Building Code as means towards solving the problem.

He said: “Spacing is very important in planning of buildings, as you know air supports burning and while space is needed by firefighters. The standard space required for commercial building is six metres while that of residential is three metres, but nowadays this standard is not being followed.