Figures from Rwanda National Police (RNP) indicate that fire outbreaks have significantly gone down in the last six month compare to 2015.
While speaking on a radio talkshow on Sunday on the status of fires in the country, the Commanding Officer of the Fire and Rescue Brigade, Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) Jean Batiste Seminega, said that last year, police recorded a total of 122 fire outbreaks countrywide.
“This was a big number but all the times we intervened we took time to also sensitize the people on the means to prevent fire outbreaks and as a result there has been a significant decrease,” he explained
“Since the beginning of this year, we have registered 30 cases of fire outbreaks. We believe that the more we sensitize and train people the further we will register significant change,” said ACP Seminega.
“We have since trained over 20,000 people on mechanisms to avoid infernos and how to use varied firefighting gadgets to put out fire but the number is still small. We want people to do away with the recklessness and in case it happens, people to respond collectively in the best and safer way they can. But our focus is to be on a preventive side rather than dealing with the consequence.”
Investigations conducted in the 2015 fire outbreaks revealed that most infernos in homes were caused by short circuits due to substandard electric cables and recklessness of some people who could leave candles lit in the house, unattended electrical Appliance in use, leading to loss of lives and property as well.
“Rwandans are advised to consider acquiring firefighting gadgets like fire extinguishers to safeguard their homes; these gadgets are now a necessity,” he said.
He went on to caution people who start up wild fires especially in dry spell and warned of severe consequences.
Cases of wild fires tend to go up in the months of July and August, and according to ACP Seminega, littered lit cigarettes, honey harvesting and burning waste in gardens are the major causes.
“In July and August, when the country experiences the dry spell, we encounter many cases of bush fires in the countryside, and we call upon Rwandans to beware of activities that involve use of fire like farming, honey harvesting and charcoal burning to cautiously avoid them,” ACP Seminega said.
Previously, in the Eastern Province, there have been cases of pastoralists burning up bushes in the dry spell to get fresh pastures for their cattle.
“Sometimes the fire would be fuelled by heavy winds and ends up burning a vast area.”
ACP Seminaga warned against such tendencies saying that it’s “environmentally very dangerous, illegal and punishable by laws.”
“Rwanda National Police has acquired hi-tech firefighting engines and a considerable number of skilled personnel trained to fight and prevent fires. In partnership with the local government, firefighting trucks have now been acquired and stationed at the regional level for quick response and our long-term plan is to acquire and station these engines at the district level ,” ACP Seminega added.
He went on to say that Police is now involved in countrywide awareness campaigns on how to put out a fire using fire extinguishers and local materials like sand.
“We are ready to teach everyone how to use these gadgets. Once they acquire them, let them just call us because we believe this is another way of building the capacity and effective response against fires,” he said.
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