Gombe, Feb. 3, 2026 (NAN) Gombe State Fire Service has advised residents, especially traders to exercise caution and sustain efforts toward curbing fire outbreaks.
Its Director-General, Mr Idris Kwami, said this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), in Gombe on Tuesday.
He said the call was imperative in view of the urgent need to curb the recurring fire outbreaks in markets and residential areas in the state.
Kwami said fire outbreaks should be a source of concern to all residents due to its devastating resulting to the lost of lives and properties.
He said constant sensitisation and engagement with residents was borne out of the need to prioritise prevention rather than tackling the menace, stressing that in fire disasters, prevention is always the best.
“We have been focusing on educating residents and traders on fire prevention and emergency response and we are intensifying that because the weather is getting drier.
“We advise residents to make it a habit to always check and repair faulty electrical appliances and switch them off when not in use.
“I call on parents to enlighten their children on how to handle electric appliances and cooking gas to avoid disasters.
“Traders in the market must avoid illegal connections as most fire outbreaks at the market places are caused by faulty electrical issues.
“If you have been following weather, you will know that we are at the peak of the season when fire wreck havoc; we must be proactive,” he said.
Giving the statistics of 2025, Kwami said that six people died and 756 others saved in fire disasters in the state in 2025.
The service, he said saved property worth N2.7 billion while property worth N433.6 million lost to fire disasters in the year under review.
Kwami said that 803 persons were involved in the outbreaks, 41 sustained varying degrees of injuries and 576 others rescued unhurt.
The director said the service recorded 253 incident calls with February and March having 46 and 42 calls, respectively, accounting for 34.8 per cent of the total calls for the year.
Kwami lauded the state government over the construction of a befitting fire service headquarters, adding that the project would enhance its capacity to combat fire outbreaks. (NAN)
