Governor Yari of Zamfara State:

The Zamfara State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA) has urged residents in the state to be safety conscious while dealing with fire during the harmattan period to avert fire disasters.

The Executive Secretary of the Agency, Malam Sanusi Kwatarkwashi, made the call in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Gusau on Sunday.

“We need to be safety conscious and avoid anything that can result in fire outbreaks.

“Also, we should be careful about how to handle candles, matches, electric and gas stoves in daily activities of our various houses.

“Those in the rural communities should be careful about how to use fire and avoid uncontrolled bush burning because it is dangerous, particularly in this harmattan period.

“We should make sure that all our electrical appliances are used carefully; also all explosives and inflammable materials should be kept away from dangerous places in order to avoid what may lead to the disasters,’’
Kwatarkwashi said.

According to him, in the last one week, the agency has recorded five cases out fire outbreaks in Gusau,the state capital alone, noting that the rate was high when compared to number of fire incidences in the state before the harmattan’’

NAN reports that in the last two weeks fire had destroyed property worth over N70 million belonging to traders from Kaura-Namoda local government area of the state along Gusau-Tsafe road.

(NAN)