Property estimated at over N1.67 billion were lost to 179 fire incidents recorded in Kwara between January and December 2012.

Malam Raji Tiamiyu, the Director of the state Fire Service, made this known in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Ilorin on Sunday.

According to him, some of the properties damaged by inferno were buildings, clothes, electrical gadgets, household utensils and other assorted materials.

He said the state Fire Service recorded 179 fire incidents from different parts of the state during the period under review

Tiamiyu also said that the service was able to salvage properties estimated at N1.7 billion between January and December 2012

He said that 13 lives were lost in the fire incidents, attributing the causes of the fire to negligence and lukewarm attitude of some people.

The director said the service was making effort at ensuring that cases of fire outbreak were reduced in the state.

He, however, identified shortage of personnel as the major constraint of the establishment and called on the State Government to address it.

Tiamiyu announced that more offices would be established in some local governments to assist in combating fire outbreak. (NAN)