About 66 people lost their lives in 5,489 fire incidents across the country from January to December 2013 following rampant outbreak of fires recorded nationwide including loss of properties worth over GHC25 million Cedis.
This represent an increment in both death and fire incidents as compared to the 2012 figures of 60 deaths and 4995 incidents with a financial loss of 10.3 million Cedis.
The data , released by the Ghana National Fire Service to this reporter gave the breakdown as 2059 domestic, 161 industrial, 759 vehicular and 93 institutional fires, while 593 were attributed to electrical faults.
Commercial fires accounted for 534, with bush-fires 660 and others 630 .
The Ashanti Region which has consistently been recording high incidents topped with 1074 incidents with 40 deaths , followed by the Greater Accra Region, 1072 with 9 deaths; Brong Ahafo Region , 676 with 8 deaths; Eastern Region , 515 with 1 death ;Central Region , 499 with 3 deaths ; Western Region , 405 with 4 deaths , Tema Region , 394; Northern Region , 280; Upper East Region, 253; Upper West Region, 198; and the Volta Region 123.
Strategies To Reduce Fire Outbreak
Speaking in an interview with this reporter , Deputy Public Relations Officer of the GNFS, Mr Prince Billy Anaglatey , said his outfit have intensified education at the various market centres, communities and churches as a way of sensitising the public to ensure the reduction of fire outbreaks across the country.
According to him some personnel who were deployed to work witth authorities of various market in the country following last year’s rampant fire outbreak are still at post to carry out sensitisation and also help avert fireoutbreaks.
He hinted that GNFS is considering creating a permanent post for personnel in those markets as a long term measure of curbing fire incidents, since most often the service is not able to get to fire scenes on time due to the distance and nature of road networks.
Collaboration
Mr Anaglate said his outfit have asked the various district assemblies to provide infrastructure for them at the various markets to enable them operate there as fire posts.
He also said the Service have met some community Association to collaborate with them on possible ways of training members in those communities to continue with sensitisation and also reduce the impact of outbreaks in events of an outbreak.
Touching on incidents of water shortage in the event of fire outbreaks , Mr Anaglate said the GNFS is in talks with the Ghana Water company Limited to ensure they drill boreholes in some communities that the service can rely in the event of water shortage and in situation where water hydrant are not available or not functioning .
Challenges
According to Mr Anaglate the apathy on the part of people to avail themselves for education on fire continues to be one of the greatest facing the service.
“You get in there to do education and some of them tell you point blank that they are not ready for the education , he said adding that instead of calling our hotlines 192 , they normally get angry with you for not arriving on the scene on time and when you ask them which number they called they normally mention 199.
He also cited challenges faced by stakeholders for not being able to contribute or play their part effectively as also a major factor hindering their work coupled with logistical constraints on their part.
“We have asked some district assemblies to provide us with structures at various major market centres in their communities for us to operate permanently there but that is yet to be provided., he said.
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