Police blames city fires on negligence

Police have identified carelessness to be the major cause of most of the city fires that have recently gutted the upscale hangouts.Speaking during an interview with The New Times, the head of the force’s fire and rescue department, Superintendent of Police Bertin Mutezintare, said carelessness and ignorance while handling electric power appliances, are to blame for most of the fires that have destroyed property and equipment worth millions of francs.“If you take the case of these bars that have been burnt there is compelling evidence to attribute the cause of the fires to recklessness,” the police fire brigade chief noted.Mutezintare cited accident, ignorance and arson as other causes of firebreaks but hastened to add that police have not found evidence linking any of recent firebreaks to arson.“Police have not found any reason to suggest arson and, as such, there are no arrests that have been made,” he added.According to article 398 of the penal code, acts of arson are punishable to imprisonment of ten years to 25 years.Last Friday, fire gutted ‘Downtown’ coffee, a bar and restaurant spot in the city centre. One of its directors Theogene Kubwimana told The New Times that the fire, which started from kitchen, destroyed equipment and stock worth Rwf40 million.Pharma Vie, a pharmaceutical shop next to the restaurant, was completely burnt down, leaving the owner counting losses though the magnitude of loss was not quantified by press time.The firebreak at ‘Downtown’ came on the heels of others that gutted the former B-Club in Nyarutarama, Executive Car Wash and Sun Downer in Kimihurura, a city suburb.However, Kubwimana believes the national utility company EWASA is to blame for the misfortune that befell his business.“Some of the connecting cables are over clouded and old,” he said in an interview. The New Times could not readily get a comment from EWSA but the parastatal has previously rejected similar accusations.He also faulted the police for being very slow while responding to the call to come to the rescue of his business.“We called police at 6:30p.m and it took them one and half hours to be here,” hesaid in doleful voice. But the police countered that their response was steadfast and they learnt of the firebreak from a different party.The police fire boss also urged property and business owners to ensure that precautionary measures are in place, citing internal fire detection systems, water hydrants, internal communication, effective security management and emergency exits.“Most fire extinguishers you see in some of the buildings are not functional.People keep them for compliance,” he lamented.He also said that installation of fire-fighting equipment is one of requisite conditions for buildings to be issued with permit of occupancy.Mutezintare decried lack of water hydrants on major city buildings which can pose serious challenges to police while putting out powerful fires.“As a response, Police, EWSA and the City of Kigali have mapped some places in town where to put public water hydrants,” he said.

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Police blames city fires on negligence