A swift, coordinated response by a coalition of emergency services prevented a catastrophic disaster at the Albert Bosomtwe-Sam Fishing Harbour on Sunday evening, after a massive fire broke out at a localized fuel farm.
Thanks to the joint efforts of the Ghana National Fire Service (GNFS), the Ghana Ports and Harbours Authority (GPHA) Fire Department, and fire teams from both the Ghana Navy and Ghana Air Force, the inferno was completely extinguished without a single injury or fatality.
The crisis began under torrential rains when a distress call was logged at 16:34 hours.
Firefighters from the Sekondi Metro Fire Station arrived on the scene within ten minutes to find a localized fuel storage facility, heavily relied upon by local fishermen, entirely engulfed in flames.
Recognising the volatile nature of the burning fuel, responders immediately mobilized a heavy fleet, including four fire tenders and a water tanker drawn from the participating agencies.
Crews battled the blaze using strategic containment tactics and massive quantities of foam concentrate to choke the volatile vapours. Despite the downpour, the team successfully brought the fire under control by 18:13 hours, fully extinguishing it at 20:15 hours.
Preliminary assessments reveal substantial property damage, including two saloon cars, five surface fuel tanks, multiple fuel drums, underground storage units, and portions of the GPHA Main Administration Block’s perimeter walls.
“The swift and tactical response prevented the fire from spreading to the entire fishing harbour, fishing vessels, ECG pylons, and the GPHA main fuel depot,” a regional fire official stated, noting that the intervention averted a massive industrial, commercial, and environmental disaster.
Initial findings suggest that the heavy downpour triggered a landslide behind the fuel farm.
This caused a mix of trees, rocks, and an active electricity pole to crash directly onto the storage facilities. The impact, combined with electrical sparks from the falling pole, likely ignited the fuel vapours.
Following the successful operation, the GNFS leadership praised the seamless cooperation among the military and port authorities, expressing profound appreciation to all supporting agencies whose professionalism, teamwork, and dedication contributed immensely to managing the incident safely.
Investigation teams remain on-site to conclusively determine the exact cause of the outbreak.
By: Rainbowradioonline.com/Ghana