Suburban
Residents are urged to report fires and accidents early so that the emergency services division quickly responds before loss of lives and property.
In an interview, Harare Fire Brigade Chief Fire Officer Mr Lovemore Mafukidze said the division relies on residents and eyewitnesses for information.
“We do not see fires as they start. We rely on people who live close or pass through areas where there are fires or emergencies. People always want to judge our response by the time the fire starts not the time the incident is reported.
“As fire fighters we believe any fire is dealt during its infancy. This the reason we train fire-fighting teams from various companies because people on the ground are the best people to deal with fire because every fire starts very small,” he said.
Mr Mafukidze said people tend to quickly switch on to social media when an accident occurs and forget to call for help.
He encouraged residents to have emergency services numbers in their phones or alternatively use police or hospital numbers so that they can relay the message.
“When you get to a scene of fire and ask people present if they called the fire brigade they will say no because most people do not have our contacts. If you call the police or hospitals they have us on speed dial and they can inform us of accidents,” he said.
He said the Ligi Bar in Mabelreign was an example of a case where his division was notified when damage had already been done.
“Sometimes we are informed faster in incidents which occur outside Harare than incidents that occur within our vicinity,” he said.
Goods worth thousands of dollars were burnt to ashes when a night club, butchery and restaurant caught fire at Mabelreign shopping Centre on Sunday night.
Electrical goods that included six television sets, chips frying machines, stoves, cooking utensils and furniture among others belonging to Ligi Night Club and Restaurant were burnt.
An electrician who refused to identify themselves suspected that one of the chips fryer was left on.
“Electricity power was yesterday cut and restored three times within some minutes that exposed most electrical gadgets to danger but on this incident we strongly suspect that the chips fryer was left on,” he said.
“The chips fryer shows that it was where fire started because it was severely burnt. Switching off and on of electrical power mainly affect gadgets,” he said.
No one was hurt in the fire but residents accused the bar of violating Covid-19 regulations.
Harare Provincial Police spokesperson, Inspector Tendai Mwanza however said they do not have any information pertaining to the Covid-19 violations but urged bar owners to adhere to the Covid-19 regulations.
“We do not have information pertaining to the Covid-19 violations but we continuously warn those with bars to adhere to the Covid-19 violations.
“The law is clear on that,” he said. — City of Harare/Suburban Reporter.
