A blaze which destroyed a home in Battambang at the beginning of the year. Provincial police
The Battambang provincial police have issued a warning about heightened fire risks during the current dry conditions. Since the beginning of the year, fires have claimed the lives of at least three people and caused more than $30,000 of damage.
In all twelve months of 2024, just one death due to fire was recorded in the province.
The provincial police’s rapid response team warned the public that a combination of high winds and rapidly fluctuating temperatures meant the risk of fire is unusually high this dry season
Since the beginning of the year, the rapid response team has been almost continuously responding to fires across the province.
As of February 5, 18 major fire incidents have occurred. The majority of the incidents happened in Battambang town and Samlot district.
“These fires resulted in the deaths of three people and the destruction of residential property, crops and livestock, with total damages amounting to approximately $30,280,” the team noted.
The fires were attributed to a variety of factors, including electrical malfunction, human negligence, recklessness by land or property owners, the illegal burning of fields and even fires left uncontrolled by people hunting or gathering honey.
Major General DanhEng Bun Chan, Battambang provincial police chief, appealed to the public to be cautious about the current conditions and to play their part in reducing further incidents.
He urged the public to follow safety measures and increase their vigilance around potential fire hazards like stoves, candles, oil lamps, trash fires or when clearing fields and also emphasised the importance of safe practices when dealing with electrical systems and flammable materials like fuel or explosives.
He also recommended that people should maintain emergency supplies like fire extinguishers and emergency communication devices, as well as lengths of bamboo that can be used to pull down burning structures.
Local-level police officers have been instructed to work with the authorities to ensure that electrical systems and public roads in fire-prone areas are carefully monitored, allowing for quick emergency responses, should the need arise.
Specialists from the police headquarters and district commands will also conduct public outreach educational campaigns in high-risk residential areas, markets, warehouses and fuel stations, to ensure people know how to react in case of a fire.
If a fire is discovered, the public should immediately notify the police, it added.
In 2024, there were 823 serious fires recorded across the Kingdom, which resulted in at least 20 deaths and 59 injuries. They also destroyed 837 homes, 274 market stalls, and 24 warehouses, according to the National Disaster Management Committee (NDMC).
The capital, Phnom Penh, recorded the highest number of incidents, with a total of 150 fires that killed 5 people and injured 11. Next in line was Battambang province with 87, resulting in 1 death and 2 injuries.
