Controller-General, Federal Fire Service, Joseph Anebi, says most government buildings in the country are not safe for habitation.

Anebi gave the warning at a news briefing in Abuja in commemoration of the 2016 Fire Safety Week, saying if the service is to go by set standard, many government structures will be sealed for failing risk assessment.

Anebi stated that the service decided not to seal buildings that have failed risk assessment to give their owners the time they will need to safeguard the buildings.

He said although the fire safety code was introduced two years ago, many owners of buildings are yet to comply with the safety standards, saying fire prevention does not begin with a fire outbreak alone, but with the foundation of the building.

According to him, just as architects’ input are a necessity for a building, it is also necessary for builders to send their building plans to the service for vetting.

This, he said, would enable the service to ensure that safety standards were met by developers, saying equipment such as sprinklers and smoke detectors, among others, are necessary in a building to automatically fight fire whenever it occurs.

Anebi said although fire could be friendly, “when it is out of hand it could be disastrous and cause damage to property that took years to acquire.’’

The controller-general, who urged the public to be careful when handling fire, solicited support for the service to promote fire safety, said the service was willing to accept goodwill from individuals and groups to enable it to carry out its mandate effectively.