Anambra residents have been urged to uphold fire safety measures in the use of cooking gas.
Speaking in Awka, the Director and Chief Fire Officer, Anambra state Fire Service, Engineer Martin Agbili said most fire outbreaks in homes are caused by mishandling of cooking gas and cylinders.
Engineer Agbili said that gas cylinders should be kept outside the kitchen to ensure that leaked gas would mix with air and diffuse, adding that when they are kept in confined areas like kitchens, leaked gas could accumulate and spread to other parts of the apartment and easily cause fire outbreak and stressed the need to open windows for at least twenty minutes before lighting any fire.
Engineer Agbili also stressed the need for camping cylinders to be used in open space and not within confines of kitchens or rooms while both burners and cylinders of all cooking gas should be properly switched off and locked after use to prevent children from tampering with them.
He also cautioned against buying old and refurbished gas cylinders to reduce the rate of gas explosion in Nigeria, noting that brand new cylinders have expiration dates engraved on them while people should also ensure that gas cylinders are properly secured when in moving vehicles to avoid shaking them.
Engineer Agbili urged the people to always call state fire service promptly in cases of emergency assuring that the agency is ever ready to safeguard lives of the people as Governor Willie Obiano has properly equipped and empowered the Service to deliver on its mandate.
Also speaking, a trader, Mrs Kate Offor, enjoined parents to always enlighten their children on the dangers of careless use of naked lights at homes.
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