A TOTAL of 9,011 fires were recorded in Slovakia in 2014, which is a drop of 887 year-on-year, according to the latest statistics released by the Fire and Rescue Corps (HaZZ). The highest number of fires were caused by handling waste and broke out where people live.
HaZZ President Alexander Nejedlý noted that the fires claimed 44 lives, which is one less than in 2013. Of those victims 14 people were aged more than 60 and three were children. A total of 194 fire-related injuries were recorded last year, including to 14 professional firefighters and one volunteer firefighter. Fire-related damage amounted to €23.9 million, which is €5 million less than in 2013.
“It can be stated that the situation in 2014 was more favourable than in 2013 for all the monitored indicators,” Nejedlý said, as quoted by TASR. “There were fewer fatalities and injured, and a smaller amount of direct damage.”
The statistics further show that the highest numbers of fires occurred in March (one-fifth of the total) and in June (one-tenth of all fires). On average, 25 fires per day were recorded.
Fires were most frequently due to negligence and a lack of caution on the part of adults (4,844 instances), including the burning of grass and bushes, burning waste outside of landfill sites and the unauthorised handling of fire. Over 1,300 fires were caused intentionally, causing damage to the tune of €6.5 million. Nearly 1,200 fires occurred due to operational and technical defects.
In fact, fires were not the most frequent cause of call-outs. As many as 61 percent of all cases involved various technical and ecological accidents, while 44 percent involved fires. Firefighters were called out 29,709 times in 2014.
Source: TASR
Compiled by Roman Cuprik from press reports
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