Figures from Rwanda National Police (RNP) indicate that cases of fire outbreaks have significantly reduced in the last six months compared to 2015.

While speaking on a radio talkshow on the status of fires in the country, yesterday, the Commanding Officer of the RNP Fire and Rescue Brigade, Jean Baptiste Seminega, said, last year, police recorded a total of 122 fire outbreaks countrywide.

"This was a big number but all the times we intervened we took time to also sensitise the people on the means to prevent fire outbreaks and, as a result there, has been a significant decrease,” he said.

"Since the beginning of the year, we have registered 30 cases of fire outbreaks. We believe that the more we sensitise and train people, the less such cases will take place.”

Seminega said the department has since trained over 20,000 people on mechanisms to avoid fires and how to use firefighting gadgets but noted that the number is still small.

"We want people to do away with recklessness and in case it happens, people to respond collectively in the best and safer way possible. But our focus is to be on a preventive side rather than dealing with the consequence,” he said.

Wild fires in dry spell

Investigations conducted in the 2015 fire outbreaks revealed that most infernos in homes were caused by short circuits due to substandard electric cables and recklessness of some people who could leave candles lit in the house, leading to loss of lives as well.

"People should also consider acquiring firefighting gadgets like fire extinguishers to safeguard their homes; these gadgets are now a necessity,” Seminega said.

He cautioned people who start wild fires, especially during dry spells, and warned of severe consequences.

Cases of wild fires tend to go up in the months of July and August, and, according to Seminega, littered lit cigarettes, honey harvesting and burning waste in gardens are the major causes.

"Between July and August, when the country experiences dry spell, we encounter many cases of bush fires in the countryside. We call upon Rwandans to beware of activities that involve use of fire like farming, honey harvesting and charcoal burning,” Seminega said.

Previously, in Eastern Province, there have been cases of pastoralists burning bushes in the dry spell to get fresh pasture when the rains return.

But Seminega said sometimes such fires would be fuelled by heavy winds and end up burning a vast area.

He warned against such tendencies, saying it’s "environmentally dangerous, illegal and punishable by laws.”

"Rwanda National Police has acquired hi-tech firefighting engines and a considerable number of personnel trained to fight and prevent fires. In partnership with the local government, firefighting trucks have now been acquired and stationed at the regional level for quick response and our long-term plan is to acquire and station these engines at the district level,” Seminega explained.

He added that Police are now involved in countrywide awareness campaigns on how to put out a fire using fire extinguishers and local materials like sand.

"We are ready to teach everyone how to use these tools. Once they acquire them, let them just call us because we believe this is another way of building the capacity and effective response to fires,” he said.

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