The Ghana National Fire Service (GNFS) has cautioned residents of Oti Region against indiscriminate bush burning and poor handling of domestic fire, particularly as the country is in the dry season.
The GNFS observed that Oti is basically an agriculture zone, where many people burnt bushwhen preparing land for farming without control.
The Oti Regional Commander of the GNFS, Assistant Chief Fire Officer II (ACFO II) Mr Prince Billy Anaglate,who alerted the people, said there was the need for change of attitude, to save farm produce, life and property.
In an interview on the backdrop of bushfires and the hamattan season, at Dambai, the regional capital, yesterday, ACFO II Anaglate expressed worry that residents failed to recognise that the region was graduating from rural setting to semi-urban status and to adapt to change.
He appealed to the people to support the GNF in preventing fires, and expressed worry that at the end of 2022, a total of 95 fire outbreaks were recorded, and out of the number, 83 were bushfires and 12 were domestic fires.
ACFO II Anaglate said at the close of 2023, 73 fire outbreaks were recorded,representing 21.1 percent reduction over the previous year, as a result of strategic measures by the Regional Fire Command to curb fire outbreaks.
He said the GNFS educated the people on the need to protect homes, lives and environment against fires.
According to him, the Regional Fire Command in collaboration with the Municipal and District Assemblies (MDAs), chiefs and opinion leaders, had trained fire volunteers in various communities to help prevent fire outbreaks.
Mr Anaglate appealed to MDAs to strictly enforce bylaws on bush fire, and punish offenders to serve as deterrent to others.
He also asked the assemblies to ensure that developers adhered to building plans and fire prevention standards.
Mr Anaglate observed that “the assemblies lack commitment to ensure that people who built new houses adhere to fire safety standards.They should monitor and supervise developers to ensure that architects and contractors deliver according to standard and designs of buildings.”
FROM SAMUEL AGBEWODE, DAMBAI