N/R GNFS records 219 fire outbreaks in 6 months
The Northern Regional Command of the Ghana National Fire Service (GNFS) has recorded 219 fire outbreaks between January and June this year, as against 217 fire outbreaks in 2021
The estimated cost of damage to properties was GH¢ 2,908,988.00 as against GH¢ 2,139,291.00 same time last year, the Northern Regional Public Relation Officer of the Ghana National Fire Service (GNFS), Assistant Divisional Officer, ADO II Hudu Baba, disclosed this to Ghanaian Times here in Tamale.
He said the rate of increase in the fire outbreaks recorded in the Northern Region for the period under review was 0.46 per cent.
ADO ll Baba added that the cost of items salvaged from the fire outbreaks was estimated at GH¢ 4,580,422.00 for the period under review as against GH¢ 1,899,433.00 for the same period last year.
This, according to him, represented an increase of 141.15per cent and this he added, gave credence to a lot more properties being saved from fire outbreaks.
The PRO said an average of one fire was recorded in a day in the region during the first and second quarter of the year, pointing out that no life was lost through the fires.
ADO llBaba mentioned the causes of some of the fire outbreaks in the region as electrical faults, arson, short circuit, inferior cables, compromised or poorly done electrical installation and over-aged wires.
Others were earth problems, gas leakages, unattended cooking, unattended lit candles, mosquito coils, matches and poorly done hot works welding and deliberate acts.
He stated that, the fire recorded suggested significant downward quarterly trend, saying it dropped from 167 in the first quarter of the year to 51 in the second quarter as of June this year.
He said the education and the sensitisation programmes by the service in the region was impacting positively on the people, as they were now able to manage small fires without fire breakouts.
“The positive results can also be attributed to the command sensitisation campaign dubbed ‘1 fireman to educate 100 people’,” he stressed.
The PRO added that the command would continue with its sensitisation campaign, and urged the public to support them to work assiduously to reduce the rate of fires in the region.
He also called on the public to make positive changes in their attitudes with regard to the use of naked lights, gas cooking apparatus, electricity and electrical appliances, to forestal the occurrences of preventable fires.
ADO ll Baba advised the public to avoid pranking the service on its emergency numbers and direct lines in the region, so that they could respond timely to real fire emergencies to save more lives and properties.
From Times Reporter, Tamale
