Enugu: The Enugu State Fire Service says it saved an estimated N2 trillion worth of public and private property from fire disasters in the state between January and September 2025.
The Chief Fire Officer of Enugu State, Mr Okwudiri Ohaa, disclosed this Enugu on Monday.
The chief fire officer stated that the service responded to 260 emergency calls within the nine months, with 137 calls recorded for building fire incidents.
Ohaa stated that emergency calls were received from all 17 council areas in the state, regardless of the time of day the calls were made.
He said that personnel of the service, through the calls, rescued 20 victims alive, while 52 died during the incidents.
“The service recorded just one gas and two dumpster fire incidents respectively during the period,” he said.
The chief fire officer urged residents to remain fire conscious during the dry season, adding that “prevention is better than allowing it to happen”.
He called on neighbourhoods and communities to clear their surrounding of bushes and weeds, which might easily catch fire.
Ohaa urged them to ensure that nobody leaves any ignited fire unattended and to extinguish it when not in use.
He also advised residents to switch off their electrical appliances when they are not at home.
“Do not overload your electrical points or sockets with lots of load, and ensure that your electrical wiring is done neatly by a qualified technician.
“Toddlers and underage children should be kept far from matchstick boxes, lighters and all types of stoves – kerosene, gas and electric.”
Ohaa noted that the most challenging fire incidents the service had attended to were the gas fire in Abakpa Nike and the Ugwu-Onyema fuel tankers spill fires on Jan. 25 and Sept. 25, respectively.
