We’ve responded to 1,558 fire emergencies —Govt

The Director, Lagos State Fire Service, Mr. Rasak Fadipe, says the service has responded to at least 1,558 fire emergencies this year.He, therefore, warned Lagosians who are fond of buying and storing petrol as a result of the scarcity to desist from the act and be safety conscious.Fadipe was quoted as saying this in Lagos on Monday, according to a statement by the spokesperson for the service, Mrs. Bola Ajao.The fire boss observed that fire emergencies had been on the rise in the state and had led to avoidable colossal loss of lives and property.The statement read, “According to Fadipe, over 1,558 fire calls were received and promptly responded to, while property worth over N89.26bn were saved from January till date. This figure attests to the fact that people have yet to comply with the safety advocacy campaign of the government and this has become a source of concern.“To curb the tide of this menace, he said the agency had received a boostby the provision of new equipment tomeet the challenges associated with the mega city.”He said the habit of buying fuel in jerrycans or containers and storing athome, vehicle boots or on the premises of an office must stop evenas the Yuletide approaches.Fadipe urged parents and guardians to warn their children against careless handling of electronic appliances, naked flames and cooking gas.He further appealed to Lagosians to have fire extinguishers at home.