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The National Fire Force is intensifying public education initiatives to prevent fires in Sierra Leone, emphasizing the importance of proper electrical practices.
Bintu Fatmata Kamara, the NFF Public Relations Officer, said in an interview that the majority of fires are preventable and often caused by human error or negligence.
“Most of the fire incidents that we hear of are not mysterious. As experts, we know that anytime fire incidents occur, it’s either someone did something or failed to do something that led to the fire outbreak.” She said.
PRO Kamara said that poor electrical connections and overloading of electrical extensions are key contributors to domestic fires. She advised against abuse of electrical extensions.
“If you continue to overload your extension every day, you will cause it to accumulate more heat,” she said, “Over time, the insulators can degrade, exposing naked wires, which may eventually spark and lead to a fire.”
The NFF’s concerns are aligns with data from the National Disaster Management Agency (NDMA), which indicated that 94% of the 71 disasters registered in the first quarter of 2025 were fire-related. The NDMA blames many of these occurrences on electrical problems, dangerous cooking techniques, and improper agricultural fires.
In response to the increase in fire incidences, the NFF, has been reaching out through public awareness initiatives. These campaigns educate residents and the general public on fire preventive measures, including safe handling of electrical devices and the relevance of hiring competent electricians for installations and repairs.
PRO Kamara explained the necessity of taking preventive precautions, such as installing smoke detectors and keeping fire extinguishers easily available in homes and companies.
“Having an extinguisher and a smoke alarm installed at home will save people from fire up to 70 to 80%,” she said.
The National Fire Force urged the public to exercise caution and to report fire occurrences as soon as they occur. The fire department’s toll-free lines are as follows: 302 for Aberdeen, 309 for Rokel’s far east, 301 for the area east of Freetown, 300 for headquarters, and 311 for national emergencies.
The NFF explained that everyone has a shared obligation to adopt and follow fire safety procedures to safeguard lives and property as Sierra Leone continues to struggle with the difficulties caused by fire catastrophes.
