The Ghana National Fire Service (GNFS) has called on the public to strictly adhere to fire safety guidelines following a worrying rise in fire incidents, with Accra and Tema recording at least 20 outbreaks daily.
Speaking on Rainbow Radio’s Nyankonton Mu Nsem, the Public Relations Officer for the Tema Regional Fire Command, DO II Ebenezer Yenzu, disclosed that emergency teams respond to an average of 20 fires across both regional commands each day.
Addressing safety measures, DO II Yenzu urged citizens to handle electrical appliances carefully, ensuring they are switched off and unplugged when not in use.
He also advised against repainting or using rusted gas cylinders, adding that faulty regulators must be replaced immediately rather than being held down with heavy stones.
He stressed the importance of notifying the fire service promptly during emergencies.
To tackle the surge, the GNFS has stepped up public education and risk assessments for commercial and institutional properties to ensure compliance with emergency exit protocols.
The service is also sharing routine updates on emergency operations to foster public awareness and engagement.
“Accra and Tema alone record at least 20 fire outbreaks every day, which is deeply concerning. We have adopted updated reporting systems to keep the public informed, which has understandably sparked worry. However, we are working tirelessly to drastically reduce these occurrences, and public education remains central to our efforts,” DO II Yenzu stated.
He highlighted that areas with high human activity remain the most vulnerable to outbreaks, making vigilance vital.
His remarks followed a recent blaze at the Yota Energy facility near Greenhouse, Shai Hills.
The GNFS received an emergency call at 10:09 a.m. and swiftly deployed four fire engines to the scene.
The initial response unit, Gabriel 4 from Gbetsile, was dispatched a minute later and arrived at 10:37 a.m.
Additional backup followed, including a unit from the Armed Forces BAD arriving at 10:39 a.m., Motor 4-Pump 2 from the Motorway arriving at 11:15 a.m., and David 4-Pump 3 from Devtraco arriving at 11:14 a.m.
Through a coordinated effort, firefighters successfully contained the inferno by 12:31 p.m., preventing further spread across the facility.
By: Rainbowradioonline.com/Ghana