By Gareyson Y. Neufville
A recent fire disaster in Maryland County with left the affected families homeless.
In the fateful event, a residential building was completely destroyed by the unfriendly fire near the Airfield Junction in Harper City, Maryland County.
Reports said, the Liberia National Police (LNP), in collaboration with community members, have launched an investigation to unearth the cause of the blaze, which left the structure into ashes.
The incident occurred late in the evening, leaving residents in shock and despair.
Meanwhile, several residents of Harper have expressed dissatisfaction with the Liberia National Fire Service (LNFS), citing a lack of adequate manpower and equipment to effectively respond to fire outbreaks in the county.
One resident, Alfred Harmon, attributed the situation to “untrained firefighting residents often battling fires and emergencies without protective gears.”
“It is unfortunate that people without any formal training in fire response are the ones constantly fighting fire accidents. They risk their lives because there is no proper fire service support,” Harmon said.
He added that despite numerous appeals made to county authorities to improve the situation, the problem persists.
“We have made several calls through our county officials to address these concerns, but nothing has been done.”
Mr. Harmon and other residents have meanwhile, called on government to swiftly act by strengthening the Fire Service with equipment and trained manpower.