The Ghana National Fire Service (GNFS), Tema Region, has disclosed that an estimated total of GHS9,821.210 million worth of property were lost in recorded fires within the region between January and December 2023.
Divisional Fire Officer III, Ebenezer Yenzu, the Public Relations Officer for the Tema Region’s GNFS, disclosed this to the Ghana News Agency, saying the loss of the property occurred in 533 fires recorded during the period.
DO III Yenzu added that property that were salvaged from fires amounted to GHS27,093,542 compared to the GHS18,886,505 seen in 2022, showing a 43 per cent gain.
He said the 533 fires seen in 2023 showed a two per cent decrease in the total number of fires documented in 2022.
Breaking down the statistics for the number of fire outbreaks, he said the first quarter of 2023 recorded 163 fires, with domestic fires recording the highest.
He added that the following quarters saw some steady reductions of 132, 112, and 107, in the second, third, and fourth quarters respectively.
Touching on the types of fires seen within the year 2023, he said 179 domestic fires were seen, 129 commercial, 61 vehicular, 64 electrical, 60 bush fire incidents, and 22 industrials, as well as four institutional fires and 14 others.
He stated that the records showed an increase in domestic fire, vehicular fire, electrical fire, bush fire, industrial fire, and institutional fire, while there was a 20 per cent decrease in commercial fire.
DO III Yenzu noted that a total of 65 road crash cases were responded to by the GNFS in 2023, compared to 53 in 2022.
He said out of these crashes, 127 injuries were seen, and 13 lives were also lost within the period.
He attributed the fire outbreaks to mostly poor wiring in homes, illegal electrical wiring in slums and marketplaces, the use of unqualified electricians, and substandard cables for electrical installations.
He said unattended cooking, gas leakages, poor handling of LPG cylinders and stoves, and poor handling of naked lights such as mosquito coils, candles placed near combustibles, and indiscriminate bush burning also contributed to the fires.
He therefore urged all citizens to employ the use of certified electricians in accordance with the Electricity Supply and Distribution (Technical and Operational) Rules, 2005 (L.I. 1816), which implores the public to embrace safe practices and change their attitudes with regards to the use of electrical appliances, naked flames, and gas cooking apparatuses to forestall all preventable fire emergencies.
He also entreated the public to help sustain “the operation See Something, Say Something, Prevent Fire” campaign by contacting the 24-hourly manned telephone lines at the Tema Regional Control Room on 0303202554 or the National Emergency Line 122 or 192 during fires and other life-threatening emergencies.
GNA
FA/KOA/GRB
Jan. 17, 2024
