The Ashanti region in the first quarter of 2016 recorded a total of 569 fire incidents.
This was made known by the Chief Fire Service Officer, Dr. Albert Brown Gasie when he inaugurated a Fire Station at Breman in the Kumasi Metropolis.
He said some of the fire incidents recorded in the region include 85 domestic cases, 77 commercial, 21 industrial, 33 vehicular, 16 road and 337 being reported cases of bush fires.
The Chief Fire Service Officer also advised Ghanaians to take precautionary measures to prevent fire outbreaks in the country.
According to him prevention is the best way to combat fire attacks.
Dr. A.B. Gasie said fire outbreaks which often are domestic could be prevented if good measures are taken.
“Now we have a situation where a lot of people are barricading themselves with metals, they are building houses and in front of the houses there are metals all around them. They are thinking of security more than safety, forgetting that you can be secured but may not be safe. Now when they barricade themselves and are trapped, they cannot even locate where their padlock keys are, the smoke alone huzzles them and they cannot come out, so let us look at the reconfiguration of architectural designs.”
The GHc233, 628.24 fire station constructed from the Kumasi Metropolitan Assembly’s share of the Urban Development Grant, according to the National fire officer is the nicest he has seen in a while.
The fire station which has one fire tender sited at Breman will serve Suame, Pankrono, Maakro and other neighboring communities.
The Chief Executive of the Kumasi Metropolitan Assembly, Kojo Bonsu addressing fire personnel at the inauguration asked them to carry out education exercises on fire prevention.
“Fire has caused a lot of havoc in Kumasi with the central market, the Suame magazine and Kumasi High court among others as examples. You will therefore agree with me that the opening of this fire station today is just appropriate. I therefore entreat the Fire service personnel to complement the Assembly’s effort by launching an aggressive educational campaign on fire prevention and control in order to ensure the safety of people and property.”
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By: Lauretta Timah/citifmonline.com/Ghana