Tây Hồ District's fire-fighters practises stamping out a fire in a building in the district. —Photo hanoimoi.com.vn

HÀ NỘI — Hà Nội’s Fire Prevention and Control Police Office has carried out fire safety inspections and made repairs of places with high risks of fire and explosion in the city since early this year to ensure a safe Tết (Lunar New Year) holiday for city dwellers.

Senior Lieutenant Colonel Phạm Trung Hiếu, head of the office, said the office told all of its units in every district to take measures to minimise the risk of fire and explosion in the city during the holidays.

The move came after data from the office showed some 20 blazes occurred in January in the capital. Negligence when using electricity and fire was mainly blamed for the blazes, the data showed.

Senior Lieutenant Bùi Văn Hưng, a lecturer at the University of Fire Prevention and Control, warned at the end of each year, the weather was dry and the humidity was low.

“Both of these factors cause a high risk of fire and explosion,” he said.

Additionally, the demand for using electricity for cooking as well as burning more incense and votive paper increased fire risks during Tết, he added.

Therefore, Hiếu said the units taught local people skills in fire prevention and control at places with high risks of fire and explosion in the city, he said.

Colonel Lê Văn Hiến, deputy head of Đống Đa District’s Police Office, said his district had 24 pagodas, 20 communal houses and 15 temples, which were mainly made of wood – a flammable material. Moreover, most of them were located in small alleys that fire engines could not access.

Police trained people who work at the pagodas, communal houses and temples on how to deal with fires, he said.

In Nam Từ Liêm District, Trịnh Văn Quế, head of the People’s Committee of Mỹ Đình 1 Ward, said the committee had worked with local police to give short-term training courses on fire prevention and control for people.

The committee also encouraged local people to raise their awareness in preventing fires and explosions during Tết, Quế said.

Statistics from the office showed 411 fires occurred in the city in 2020, killing six people, injuring 25 others and causing damage of VNĐ30 billion (US$1.3 million). The number of fires, deaths and injuries all decreased compared to 2019. — VNS