The Ghana National Fire Service (GNFS) has declared bushfire prevention a national emergency and a shared responsibility as it officially announces plans for the 2026/2027 National Bushfire Prevention Campaign Launch, scheduled for Friday, 25th September, 2026, in Atebubu, Bono East Region.
The 2026/2027 National Anti-Bushfire Campaign is on the general theme ‘Bushfire Prevention: A Collective Action for Sustainable Environmental Development and a Greener Ghana.’
The announcement was made by Deputy Chief Fire Officer (DCFO) Frederick Ohemeng, Director of Rural Fires, on behalf of the Chief Fire Officer and the Management of GNFS during an engagement with the 2026 National Anti-Bushfire Stakeholders in Accra.
The stakeholders include the Ministry of the Interior, the Ministry of Local Governments and Rural Development, the Forestry Commission, the National Insurance Commission (NIC), the Ghana Cocoa Board (COCOBOD), and the Communication for Development and Advocacy Consult (CDA Consult).
The others include TROPRNBOS Ghana, the National Disaster Management Organisation (NADMO), the Ghana Meteorological Agency (GMet), and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
DCFO Ohemeng noted that as the harmattan approaches, GNFS has rolled out modalities to rally state and non-state entities and communities to protect livelihoods, forests, and the economy from the threat of undesirable bushfires.
The Director of Rural Fires stressed that “with dry winds and low humidity set to sweep across Ghana in the coming weeks, bushfires are not seasonal accidents. They are a recurring economic and environmental crisis that threatens Ghana’s food security, climate resilience, and rural livelihoods.
“GNFS data shows that each dry season, thousands of hectares of farmland, forest reserves, and wildlife habitats are destroyed by preventable fires.” “GNFS data reveals that preventable fires destroy thousands of hectares of farmland, forest reserves, and wildlife habitats each dry season. by preventable fires. The impact is direct and devastating: lost food crops, reduced agricultural yields, degraded soils, displaced rural families, and millions of Ghana Cedis in damage to property and natural capital.
“The dry season, characterized by low humidity, high temperatures, and dusty harmattan winds, significantly increases the risk of bushfires across the country. But risk does not have to become disaster. Prevention is possible, and it starts with awareness and action,” DCFO Ohemeng stated.
ACFO II Edwin T. Nartey of Rural Fires explained that the choice of Atebubu is strategic, as the Bono East Region sits within Ghana’s transitional agro-ecological zone, a critical food basket, and a high-risk corridor for bushfires, making it the ideal epicenter to send a strong national signal.
He noted that the 2026 campaign marks a decisive shift from ad hoc sensitization to a structured, impact-driven national movement with measurable outcomes.
He said that by launching the campaign at the very onset of the dry season and hosting the national event outside Accra, “GNFS aims to intensify education in high-risk districts while using the momentum to trigger simultaneous regional and district-level activations nationwide across all 16 regions.”
ACFO Nartey indicated that the theme underscores a fundamental truth: “GNFS cannot fight bushfires alone.”
He said the campaign will mobilize a broad coalition of Metropolitan, Municipal, and District Assemblies (MMDAs); Traditional Authorities and Opinion Leaders; Farmer-Based Organizations; Ghana Education Service and Schools; Security Agencies; the Media; and the Private Sector.
He said Community Fire Volunteers will be re-tooled and re-resourced as first responders, stressing that beyond talk, the campaign will focus on actionable, community-owned measures.
He called for early creation of fire belts and firebreaks around farms and forests, adoption of safe land-clearing practices without fire, strict enforcement of the prohibition of indiscriminate burning, and establishment of rapid community reporting systems.
The stakeholders, while commending GNFS for launching the campaign before the start of the harmattan season, appealed to corporate entities, individuals, media, and state institutions to support GNFS with funds and logistics to deliver a campaign of national scale and sustained impact.
“On behalf of GNFS, we are appealing to Corporate Ghana, development partners, and philanthropic organizations for cash and in-kind partnerships,” the stakeholders stated during the engagement in Accra.
“Your support is not charity. It is an investment in Ghana’s food security, environment, and safety of your own workforce. When farms burn, markets feel it. When forests burn, the economy feels it. Together, we can build a greener Ghana,” the stakeholders emphasized.
The Atebubu launch is expected to attract over 3,000 participants, including the Minister of the Interior, the Bono East Regional Minister, the President of the Regional House of Chief, Members of Parliament, the Atebubu Traditional Council, farmers, students, and security services.
Activities will include a high-level stakeholder dialogue, live firefighting equipment demonstrations, community durbars, and a mass public education drive.
The post-launch campaign will be cascaded to all 16 regions through the GNFS Rural Fires Directorate to ensure no community is left behind as the harmattan intensifies.
