• Society

PM Warns of Dry Season Fire Dangers

• By Meng Seavmey
• March 7, 2024 5:25 PM

PHNOM PENH – Prime Minister Hun Manet has called on authorities and the public to be more cautious of fire outbreaks, particularly during the dry season with temperatures possibly topping 41 degrees. 

Fire outbreaks have increased in past years, particularly in enterprises and institutions in the manufacturing and tourism sectors, costing lives, properties, environment, security, public order, social safety and business operations, Manet said.  

The Ministry of Water Resources and Meteorology’s forecasts that temperatures will rise steadily from February to early May. From April to early May, temperatures would rise on some days  to between 38 and 41 degrees. Rainfall will be less than in 2023. There will be more thunderstorms and wind. 

Manet warned ministries, institutions and enterprise and factory owners to pay great attention to fire safety tips to prevent outbreaks and to respond to fires in a timely manner. 

Ministry of Interior spokesperson Touch Sokhak said preventing fires required cooperation and prevention from all involved, especially householders and those in buildings, to remain cautious about their electricity and cooking flames. In this dry season, the caution should be higher.

Sokhak said fires are mostly caused by electrical incidents, including old electricity wires and wrong technical electrical systems. The other causes are cooking fires, especially gas, and burning incense. 

From Aug. 22 to Dec. 21 in 2023, there were 126 fire outbreaks, killing two and injured four people. Sokhak — although without the all-year data — said the number had decreased compared with late 2022.

However, in January 2023, Fire Department director Neth Vantha said there were 618 fires in 2022, killing 43 people and injuring 116. Cases fell from 670 in 2021 but deaths were up from 24 in 2021.

Compared with 2021, injuries increased by 81 while destroyed houses fell from 707 in 2021 to 697 in 2022. Forty-one percent of fires were caused by electrical accidents, while 37 percent were started by burning candles and incense. The causes of the rest were unknown.