Bulawayo City Council recorded a 30% decrease in fire outbreaks in April compared to the same period last year, latest council minutes have revealed.
BY NQOBANI NDLOVU
Household property worth $85 600 was lost in fire outbreaks recorded in April and the council fire and ambulance services department said property worth $1 389 000 was at risk.
This is according to a report compiled by the Bulawayo City Council’s chief fire officer Richard Peterson contained in the latest minutes of the health, housing and education committee report.
“Property fires contributed 70% of the total fires attended to during the month ended April 30 2015. The brigade attended to seven property fire calls in April 2015, which is a decrease of 30% compared to the same period the previous year,” Peterson said in the report.
“One veld fire was reported in the month of April 2015, a reduction of 96% as compared to 26 calls for the same period in 2014.”
He said major causes of the fire outbreaks were discarded lit material like cigarettes, children playing with matches and electrical faults, while others are deliberately caused by individuals.
“Fire caused by electrical faults contributed 70% of the total causes of fires during the month ended April 30 2015. There were no fire related deaths in the month ended April 2015, the same as for April the previous year,” he added.
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The council’s fire-fighting department is carrying out awareness campaigns, but residents make fun of the fire brigade by making false alarms, Peterson added.
“There was an increase of 100% on false alarms with six calls as compared to three for the same period in 2014,” he said.
The report shows that the council’s fire brigade has since January attended to 85 fire calls.
