Sharjah aims for zero house fires

SHARJAH // The head of civil defence in one of the most fire-prone emirates plans to have no residential blazes after the launch of a federal programme to educate people on fire safety.

Sharjah has had more than its share of costly blazes, with 110 house fires logged so far this year, compared with 100 for all of last year. That compares with 42 house fires in Dubai last year, according to figures released this week.

The schemes are part of a six-month effort to better protect people's lives and property, said Col Waheed al Serkal, the Sharjah Civil Defence director general.

"Our hopes are to have zero fires in the summer period, which is notorious for big fires," he said. "We have six months to reach every home in the emirate, educate people on fire safety, and ensure safety equipment is installed in every home."

Sharjah's safety schemes follow announcements by the federal Civil Defence that inspectors will be visiting every home in the Emirates in a campaign to cut the number of deaths from house fires.

The federal safety programme will deploy several teams of inspectors to raise public consciousness about fire prevention, said Marwan Bu Afrah, who heads the Sharjah campaign.

A similar effort has begun in Ajman.