By Bill W. Cooper
Citizens are calling on the government for an urgent action to address the growing fire disasters across the country as Liberia continues to grapple with series of devastating fire outbreaks across Montserrado.
The latest incident occurred during the early morning hours of February 27, 2024, in the RLJ Community, RLJ Road, where one person tragically lost his life as a result of a raging fire that destroyed a three-bedroom house.
According to information, the distressing fire broke out in the early hours of Tuesday morning, and cursorily ran throughout the house, burning it down to ashes.
Local residents in the area are said to have scrambled to rescue the deceased, identified as T. Jonathan Toet, and protect other properties in the house, but their efforts were thwarted by the angry fire that consumed the property in no time.
Even though the cause of the fire is yet to be established, residents of the community were also heard attributing the situation to electrical fault, calling for an impartial investigation into the incident.
However, the tragic loss of little Toet has again highlighted the urgent need for improved fire prevention measures and emergency response capabilities in the country.
Meanwhile, in the wake of the RLJ fire, many Liberians are now calling for the government to declare the unceasing fire outbreak across the country as a ‘national emergency’ to address the growing threat posed by these fire outbreaks.
“We cannot continue to sit idly by while our homes and communities are consumed by flames. The government must take decisive action to prevent future tragedies like this from occurring,” a resident, Pauline Kollie, said.
The call for a ‘national emergency’ declaration from the residents comes amid a spate of fire outbreaks across Liberia in the past several weeks, especially in 2024.
Just last week, a fire tore apart a five-bedroom house in Duport Road, Paynesville City, and took the lives of five persons and made several others homeless.
Similarly, another incident was reported in Caldwell, destroying a five-bedroom house and killing five Liberians, as said incidents were also reported in other cities, raising concerns about the safety and security of residents.
