Mr Sunday Akanji, a leading Fire fighter with the Oyo State Fire Service on Sunday, urged people to ensure they switched off electric gadgets in their houses before going out to avoid fire outbreaks.
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Akanji gave the advice at an interactive programme organised by the Redeemed Christian Church of God, Mount Cathedral, Bolumole, in Ibadan.
He said part of the causes of fire outbreaks were from electricity gadgets, gas and some other sensitive materials in homes.
The fire leading man urged individuals to be mindful of making calls in the kitchen while the gas was switched on as it could lead to fire incident.
He equally warned against smoking, receiving calls at fueling stations as well as overloading of sockets with many electric gadgets, switches, stressing that it could be dangerous when there was a high voltage.
“The major causes of fire outbreaks are carelessness and ignorance, we should always be sensitive to our environment, check switches, never leave your irons and gadgets plugged on and go out.
“It’s advisable to put a smoke detector in your house that will detect smokes and alert people when there is danger.
“Also ensure to have a place in your house that your burglary can still open, don’t have a tight burglary fix.
“Fire outbreak spreads faster on houses built with POP, PVC because they contain high density petroleum which can trigger the burning,” he said.
According to him, there are extinguishing methods of preventing fire outbreak such as cooling, starvation and smothering.
Starvation he says, is when the fire occurs and one doesn’t allow it to go out of the place, while smothering is denying oxygen from entering into the place of fire incident thereby limiting the fire from spreading further.
Akanji said he was going round Oyo state, especially schools to sensitise people and children on the issues of fire outbreaks and its prevention.
He added that the sensitisation was borne out of his passion and personal concept to assist the Oyo state fire service in reducing incessant fire menace in the society by reaching out to many people in 2020.
“If we all can be aware of the causes of these outbreaks, take these preventive measures and be more careful in our homes, offices, schools, among others, the occurrence of fire outbreaks will certainly reduce to the barest minimum,” he said.
Also speaking, the Zonal Pastor of the church, David Olubunmi, said that fire outbreak was one of the prophecies of the year 2020.
“In order to avoid this menace, our father in the lord, Pastor Adeboye urged the church to pray so that God will have mercy on our land.
“The bible also says that we should watch and as well pray, so what we are doing today is one of the ways of watching and taking precautions to avoid the disaster of fire even as we pray,” he said.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the interactive sunday of the church was held on the third sunday of every month to allow the members discuss, interact and ask questions on Godly, topical issues that would boost their faith.
The highlight of the event was a ‘dance galore’ session declared by the church for members to celebrate the gift of life.