The New Juaben Municipal Fire Officer, Mr Gyasi Boateng, has cautioned residents not to allow the ongoing erratic power situation to compel them to sleep with candles in their rooms.

He said, apart from it being a very bad practice, lighted candles is the cause of many domestic fires in the municipality.

The Municipal Fire Officer, who spoke in an interview with the Ghana News Agency (GNA) in Koforidua called on the public to take the fire safety advice given them serious to help reduce fire accidents in the municipality.

Mr Boateng expressed worry that the main challenge facing his Division was the public’s nonchalance and lackadaisical attitudes towards fire safety education, stressing that, people usually does not have the time to listen to such education.

He appealed to the general public to take fire safety education and measures seriously since “though fire is always with us, it will suddenly become an enemy if we do not learn and know how to use it.”

Mr Boateng, however lauded management of the various filling stations in Koforidua and other parts of the New Juaben Municipality for their commitment towards fire safety and urged them to continue adhering to the fire regulations.

He disclosed that, as at the end of the first quarter of the year, from January to April, the Municipality recorded a total of 23 fire cases, which was made up of two commercial, two vehicular and three bush fire cases.

The others included 14 domestic fires and one gas fire case.

According to the Municipal Fire Officer, the Division was still intensifying its education programmes to ensure that, they record fewer fires in the year.

He pleaded with the public to desist from making false alarm calls to the Ghana National Fire Service, which only incurs wasteful costs to the Service and the nation as a whole.