Ghana recorded 2,177 fire outbreaks between January and March 2023, the Ghana National Fire Service (GNFS) has said.
The figure shows a decrease in fire outbreaks as compared to the 2,403 fires also recorded in the first quarter of 2022.
The Chief Fire Officer (CFO) Julius A. Kuunuor, of the Ghana National Fire Service, disclosed this in an interview with the Ghana News Agency (GNA) in Accra.
He said it was worrying that despite the decrease in fire outbreaks within the period, domestic fires were leading the chart with a total of 760, followed by bush fires 492, commercial fires 336, electrical 208, vehicular 178, refuse 117, institutional 76 and industrial outbreaks 10.
Out of the total fire incidents recorded within the period, 596 were doused by the public on arrival and 1,581 were extinguished by the GNFS.
CFO Kuunuor ascribed the decrease in fire outbreaks to the intensive national fire safety education the service had embarked on over the period.
He, however, noted that there was an increase in electrical fires due to faulty meters and electrical gadgets, adding that vehicular fires in recent times had also gone up, owing to the non-existence of fire extinguishers or fake fire extinguishers in cars.
He said to further reduce fire outbreaks to a single digit if not eradicate them, the service would continue its intensive public education and put-up fire tents at marketplaces to ensure fire prevention and act promptly in case of a fire start.
CFO Kuunuor assured that the GNFS was gradually coming up with initiatives and in due course would unveil them to ensure that the public and even children were educated on fire safety at home to reduce fire outbreaks drastically.
He urged building contractors to be mindful of their construction works which in most cases impeded the GNFS from acting swiftly in case of a fire incident.
The Chief Fire Officer advised the citizenry to also ensure there were proper and active fire extinguishers at vantage points at homes, workplaces, vehicles, and other public places to aid them in an outbreak.
“Fire safety is a shared responsibility so the public must adhere to the fire safety precautions put in place, they must ensure that all electrical appliances are put off when not in use and upon leaving the house to prevent fires.” CFO Kuunuor stated.
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