Cross River: Fire consumes N10bn property in 6 months

The Cross River Command of the Federal Fire Service on Friday said that property worth N10.38 billion were destroyed by fire in Cross River within six months.

The State Controller of the Fire Service, Mrs Olomola Olumayowa, told our correspondent in Calabar, that the destruction was recorded in 13 incidents between January and June.

Olumayowa said the command responded swiftly to the fire incidents, adding that three persons died and two others sustained injury within the period.

The controller, however, stressed that the command’s committed in fighting fire outbreaks was being hampered by lack of fire equipment.

According to her, provision of mini firefighting equipment (water tenders) to navigate difficult terrain will greatly help the service because not all routes were accessible by fire appliances.

“We want provision of more fire stations in Calabar and its environs; as it stands now, we only have one fire engine in the state. These stations can be equipped with mini firefighting equipment.

“We are also in need of a tanker to move along side with the fire engine to reduce the number of times we go for refilling after exhausting our water on fire grounds,” she said.

Olumayowa appealed for more collaboration with security agencies in the state.

“Security agencies should continue to come to our rescue; our men were almost mobbed at the last fire scene at Bogobiri,” she stated.