KINGSTON, Jamaica (JIS) — Acting Assistant Commissioner of the Jamaica Fire Brigade (JFB) Emeleo Ebanks is urging householders to take steps to prevent fires by having their electrical wiring checked.

“Please ensure that if your house was wired over five years ago, you get a certified and licensed electrician to check the wiring to ensure everything is working as it should,” he advised.

Ebanks said the JFB recognises that during the Christmas period, there is an increase in the consumption of electricity, which can cause fires if wiring is faulty.

He noted that there has been an increase in household fires over the past three years due to defective wiring.

“We have seen in 2014 where the residential fires amounted to 68. In 2015, that went up to 89, and in 2016, that went up to 128. The sad reality is that a lot of times, we have persons dying from these fires,” he lamented.

He is also urging people to dispose of solid waste in garbage receptacles and not to burn items, as this could cause fires.

Meanwhile, Ebanks, who is Acting Fire Chief for Trelawny, which has recorded the second highest number of road crashes since the start of the year, is appealing to motorists to exercise care on the roads and avoid drinking if they intend to drive.

He said road crashes not only cause untold grief for families and friends but also puts great strain on State resources.

“If you drink, please don’t drive. We have to be out there constantly extricating persons from vehicular crashes. That is putting a severe strain on the Fire Brigade, and the resources are extremely strained,” he noted.