A TOTAL of over $5 million property losses were recorded last year in both building and house blazes with a total of 73 houses (bringing losses of $2 million) and 46 buildings (losses over $3 million) razed to the ground, in all.

Causes of these fire disasters have been reported as negligence and a lack of knowledge of the usage of electrical appliances which could cause overheating, also excessive power supply, usage of illegal and loose electrical connections, short circuits, unattended cooking, children playing with fire unattended, leaving candles unattended, throwing cigarette butts, gas leaks and the errant use of insect repellents.

These fire disasters were taken into account by the Imams in their Friday sermon yesterday, marking the 50th Anniversary of the Fire and Rescue Department.

The public was urged to take the safety aspect seriously and Muslims were urged to practise reciting ‘Zikir’, `Doa’ in the event of raging fires and remember Allah the Almighty when battling the blazes. When treating burn victims, Muslims were recommended to read a Doa.

Muslims were urged to be cautious to prevent blazes. One should also equip oneself with the basic technique of putting-out blazes, the Imams said. Muslims should possess strong faith in facing catastrophes or disasters.
The Fire awl Rescue Department’s role is not just confined to extinguishing fires but leading rescue operations and providing safety and investigating fire outbreaks, giving lessons of awareness to the public on fire safety and disaster management.

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