“The tasks and responsibilities of these teams should be in line with the instructions issued by the directorate general of Civil Defense,” the memo said.

One of the required measures is to have qualified teams in place, who are well trained in fire-fighting and rescue operations. All branches of municipalities should provide comprehensive annual reports to the Civil Defense Council. They should also upgrade the level of the engineering departments supervising these establishments to ensure safety.

A number of school fires were reported over the past few months. Three teachers were killed and a number of students injured in fire at the Baraim Al-Watan Girls School in Jeddah last November.

According to official statistics of the Civil Defense, there are about 30,000 fires in the Kingdom every year. The residential facilities come first as the most fire-prone areas followed by garbage places and transport utilities.

Though school buildings occupy 10th place in buildings most vulnerable to fires, the loss in human lives in them place these third after residential buildings and transport tools.

Electric short-circuiting caused 64 percent of the fires in the Kingdom, while children tampering with wires or setting paper ablaze caused about 10 percent.