Dry season and fire in Nigeria

Daily Independent (Lagos): Rampant fire outbreaks constitute one of the calamities common at this period of the year. This is as a result of the harmattan, which is associated with dryness and wind. The harmattan haze with extremely dry dusty wind blows from the Sahara toward the western coast of Africa. Between November and March, quite a lot of fire outbreaks are often recorded since there is dry wind, which makes it easy for fire to spread at the slightest ignition.

…Due to the dryness associated with the season, a lot of fire incidents have devastated many homes and offices. Unfortunately, many residents carry on with their activities without being conscious that the weather, due to its dryness, can aid spread of fire whenever there is a fire outbreak.

…During this season, heat and wind are the major factors that could ignite fire outbreaks. This is because everywhere you go, it is hot. The heat will aid the fire while the wind will spread the fire to other parts before you could control it," he explained. He advised Lagos residents to avoid bush burning or setting up fire unnecessarily.

…Several efforts are being put in place by the Lagos State government to at least reduce the recurrent fire disasters in the state. In fact, the state held a campaign in December 2008 to sensitise the public on the need to be careful and conscious of the disasters associated with the season, among which is outbreak of fire….

The Abuja National Mosque in Nigeria, aglow in wind-borne sand from the Sahara, shot by Kipp Jones from Atlanta, US, Wikimedia Commons via Flickr, under Creative Commons Attribution ShareAlike 2.0 License