Tag: fire outbreak

Three people are reported injured after fire engulfed parts of the Albert Bosomtwi-Sam Fishing Harbour in Sekondi Thursday evening.

According to reports, the fire which was seen around 6pm on Thursday, November 19, has destroyed several fishing gears at the fishing bay.

It is unclear what started the inferno.

The Sekondi Fire Command were able to bring the fire under control.

Emmanuel Bonney, the Western Regional Fire Command Public Relations Officer told Citi News in a report monitored by GhanaWeb: “We got information about the fire outbreak around 5pm. Within two minutes we mobilized, and we dispatched to the place. So around 6:06pm, our men were at the scene, and they started extinguishing the fire. They saw the fire spreading towards the Sekondi Naval Base and the Sekondi Fishing Harbour as well as the canoes and their storage of premix fuel. We had to contain the fire and finally managed to extinguish the fire around 6:48pm.”

Emmanuel Bonney continued: “Three people got injured with one being critical and the other two sustained injuries on the neck and arms. All were taken to the hospital and are receiving treatment. I think the fire started from where they keep their premix fuel because it seems there was some activity going on there. God willing, by tomorrow we will get the full import of what they were doing before the fire started. Several fishing gears including outboard motors, premix fuel, their personal belongings and petty shops close by were burnt.”

Source: Starr FM

Over 200 fire outbreaks have been recorded within seven months (January-July) in the Ashanti region alone this year.

The figure is higher as compared to last year’s 195 cases recorded within the same period.

Five lives were lost within the period as compared to last year’s six deaths.

Regional Fire Public Relations Officer, DOIII Desmond Ackah, told Class News’ regional correspondent Elisha Adarkwah, that majority of the fires were domestic followed by bush and commercial.

He said fire safety education has been intensified as their team is moving around communities in the region with robust fire education.

Meanwhile, investigations have commenced into Wednesday’s evening fire that swept through some makeshifts at Kaase Fari in the Asokwa Municipality of the region.

DOIII Ackah said 30 of the makeshifts were burnt as property amounting to thousands of Ghana cedis were lost.

No casualties were recorded.

Source: Class FM

The Western Regional Fire Service Command has from January 2020 to date recorded a total of 189 fire out breaks as against 182 cases last year.

Out of the figure five people lost their lives, while three sustained various degrees of injuries.

ACFO Gaddiel Napoleon Amoah Ebonyi, Regional Fire Service Commander, who announced this during a press briefing at Fijai, a suburb of Takoradi, called on the people of the Metropolis to be extra cautious in dealing with fire outbreaks.

He said it was unfortunate that people usually rushed to fire accidents scenes without any precautionary measures and urged them to desist from the practice.

The Regional Fire Commander said the Region also recorded six road traffic collision incidents, with one person sustaining injuries.

He said the Service would continue to create and sustain awareness of the public on fire prevention and safety precautions.

ACFO Ebonyi said the Service would continue to educate the public on basic fire fighting using fire extinguishers so as to reduce fire incidents to the barest minimum.

The Regional Commander explained that fire extinguishers are only useful in fighting fires at the initial stages of fire outbreaks.

“Once a fire is well developed, it requires professional hands to handle it,” he said.

The Regional Commander noted with concern that usually during their response to road traffic collision incidents as well as other hazardous goods incidents such as leakage of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) and fuel tankers/bulk road vehicle (BRV) spillage of fuel they face the challenge of teeming crowds who either rush to the scene to catch a glimpse of the incident, scoop spilled fuel or to help extinguish the fire.

He said though they appreciate the efforts of the public to assist on such occasions, he, however, advised them to stay away from such scenes and desist from the practice of siphoning and scooping fuel from tankers/bulk road vehicles involved in road accidents.

The Regional Fire Service Commander said in a recent incident near the Takoradi Container Terminal (TACOTEL) involving the collision between a fuel tanker/bulk road vehicle and a locomotive, there was a rather disheartening rush for the spilled fuel by the public who trooped to the scene to scoop some of the fuel without any regard for the recommended physical distancing required by the COVID-19- containment measures, some of whom were women who had babies strapped to their backs.

ACFO Ebonyi explained that liquid fuels/petroleum products by their nature are highly inflammable and quickly form explosive vapours which can easily ignite from the least amount of heat energy.

He said the recommended minimum safety distance for domestic fires and light commercial premises where the fire may be classified as medium was one hundred meters.

ACFO Ebonyi said for fires at heavy commercial and industrial premises or involving highly inflammable fuels, the recommended minimum safety distance is 500m.

He gave the assurance that the Service in collaboration with the Ghana Police would team up to strictly enforce adherence to the recommended safety distances for incident scenes and offenders would be arrested and prosecuted.

Source: GNA

The A & C Shopping Mall in Accra has been engulfed by a massive fire. The fire reportedly began very late on Tuesday, June 2, 2020.

The cause of the fire is still not immediately known.

While YEN.com.gh cannot independently verify the video that has been shared online, the footage shows a building on fire.

It is not also known if firefighters were at the scene of the fire to battle and contain the blaze.

However, eyewitnesses at the scene could be heard in the video making distress chatter.

More details soon.

Source: yen.com.gh

The Ghana National Fire Service (GNFS) in the Akatsi South District of the Volta Region, has described the incidence of fire outbreaks in the District last year as worrying.

The District recorded 22 domestic fire outbreaks and eleven road traffic crashes in 2019, as compared to eleven fire outbreaks and two road crashes in 2018.

Divisional Officer Grade ll (DOll) Simon Wardie, Akatsi South District Commander of the Ghana National Fire Service, made this known to the Ghana News Agency (GNA) in an interview when GNA visited his office to discuss the growing rate of bushfires in the District.

He said the Command was poised to reduce the numbers through intensified fire safety education and enforcement of by-laws this year.

Mr Wardie also assured that his outfit would continue conducting inspections and fire audits on high-rise buildings, Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) and fuel stations, guest houses, educational institutions, private and government agencies in the District, aimed at reducing fire disasters.

He said educational campaigns would target market centres, churches, mosques and lorry parks and appealed to individuals to serve as fire safety volunteers in communities.

Mr Wardie called on traditional leaders and Assembly members to lead the campaign against fire outbreaks to protect life and property.

Checks by the GNA in the District revealed that access to houses in Akatsi during emergencies like fire disasters was a big challenge.

Mr. Leo Nelson Adzidogah, District Chief Executive (DCE) for Akatsi South, cautioned against building without Assembly permit and charged officers from the Town and Country Planning Department of the Assembly to enforce the laws.

The DCE stated the Assembly’s readiness to help the Fire Service reduce fire incidences in the District.

Source: GNA