Fire Department: Handled 8,282 Reports in the First Half of 2026

Kuwait Fire Force spokesperson, Brigadier General Mohammed Al-Gharib, confirmed on Thursday that fire and rescue teams responded to 8,282 calls out of a total of 8,751 across all governorates during the first half of 2026. In an interview with the Kuwait News Agency (KUNA), Brigadier General Al-Gharib stated that the calls included 3,171 rescue requests, 2,545 “good Samaritan” calls, 2,159 fire incidents, 819 general service calls, and 57 other incidents. He added that the total number of fire reports amounted to 2,159, distributed as follows: 629 in residential areas, 314 in non-residential areas, 432 in road transport, and 778 in other areas, in addition to five aviation incidents and one land transport incident. He clarified that the total number of rescue calls handled by fire force teams and other entities reached 3,432, with the majority occurring in the Al-Ahmadi Governorate.

On the awareness front, Brigadier General Al-Gharib emphasized the importance of adhering to safety and fire prevention regulations, noting that “electrical faults were among the most common causes of fires during the aforementioned period.” He called on citizens and residents to carry out regular maintenance of electrical wiring and connections, to rely on qualified technicians, and to avoid overloading sockets and electrical connections or using connections and devices that do not meet safety standards. He stressed the necessity of not leaving electrical appliances and equipment unattended, disconnecting power from unused devices, and taking seriously any signs of electrical faults, burning odors, or smoke emission.

He noted that compliance with safety and prevention measures directly contributes to reducing the occurrence of fires and protecting lives and property, urging people to promptly contact relevant authorities in case of any emergency. He highlighted the importance of providing smoke detectors and fire extinguishers in homes and facilities, ensuring their validity and easy accessibility, and instructing family members and employees on how to use them, emphasizing that the presence of early warning and initial firefighting equipment can help detect fires early and limit their spread before fire teams arrive.

Al-Gharib warned against leaving children unattended near electrical sources, open flames, or hot appliances, and against storing flammable materials near heat sources. He called for keeping gas cylinders and chemical materials in well-ventilated, appropriate locations and out of children’s reach.