There is no doubt that the Harmattan Season is here with us again. The prevailing dust haze clearly heralded the Harmattan season. Incidentally, the season coincides with the yuletide and end of the year; a period of high rate of travelling. Auto accidents are common due largely to human factors. Fire outbreaks are also frequent during Harmattan.

Unfortunately, reports of such fire incidents have long been trickling in with their disastrous consequences. In most cases, human lives have been terminated and billions of naira worth of goods and property destroyed. The Upper Iweka fuel tanker accident that resulted in the Ochanja Market fire disaster as well as the Omagba phase two fuel tanker fire incident and the death of a priest at Nnewi following the fire that gutted the parish priest’s resident among many others are still fresh in our memory.

While the Anambra state government is doing all it could to checkmate these fire outbreaks and reduce it to the barest minimum, Ndi Anambra should also do the needful to protect their lives and property. Already, Governor Willie Obiano and his wife, Osodieme have assisted the victims of the fire incidents. The governor has equally directed the stationing of fire fighting trucks in major markets in the state, while Akpokuedike has initiated a move to grant the State Fire Service greater autonomy, among many more steps.

However, fire outbreak is usually an unpredicted emergency and Ndi Anambra must be prepared for it. Fire, in its most common form, can result in conflagration, which has the potential to cause physical damage through burning. Fire destroys our property and means of existence, causes atmospheric pollution, and water contamination. Though fire has been used by humans in agriculture for clearing land, for cooking, generating heat and light, for propulsion purposes, but if left uncontrolled, it causes havoc, sorrow and heart break.

Harmattan favours some agricultural activities to flourish. Farmers use the period to clear farms and get them ready for planting. However, bush burning should be done with utmost caution to avoid setting forests or houses ablaze. Careless handling of fire during this period can cause damage of unimaginable proportion since fire spreads quickly.

Bush burning often results in severe losses to farmers as they repeatedly find it difficult to curtail the rage of the fire, aided by the harmattan haze. Many rural communities have lost buoyant and prosperous farmlands to the rage of uncontrollable harmattan fire, thereby subjecting the natives, whose mainstay of income is farming, to avoidable pains and anguish.

To stem the tide of further fire disasters therefore, it has now become crucial for all offices and homes to have efficient fire extinguishers. This is in addition to having functional knowledge of their usages. It is also imperative for everybody to acquire safety information in respect of fire outbreaks.

Fire could generally be put off by water or sand while a special foam chemical could be used to quench oil fire. People using gas for domestic cooking need to be more vigilant. Hot ashes and charcoals must be properly put off with water, while cigarette smokers should properly discard cigarette butts. Use of fireworks has been banned. Thus, people should do away with them, especially this season.

Additionally, well meaning individuals, government agencies and organizations need to embark on fire safety and emergency management enlightenment. With the level of painful losses experienced as a result of needless fire outbreaks in the country, it has now become decisive for all stakeholders, including religious bodies, corporate organizations, schools, political and community leaders, public servants, NGOs and individuals to toe the path of safety in their daily activities. Enlightenment advocacy on fire prevention and management must not be left in the hands of government alone. Everyone must be involved.

Consequently, every adult resident must educate young ones on all safety measures in order to reduce to the barest minimum the incidence of fire this season. Fire fighters are our brothers and sisters who have chosen to take on such a delicate job in order to safeguard the safety of everyone. We must do everything humanly possible to assist them in positively discharging their duties.

Above all, people should always use the emergency number, 0-7-0-3-9-1-9-4-3-3-2, provided by the state government to alert the fire fighters in case of trouble anywhere in the state.

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