The Ghana National Fire Service (GNFS) has reported a 3.17% increase in fire outbreaks across the country from January to September 2024, compared to the same period in 2023.

According to it, there was a total of 4,650 fire incidents recorded this year, up from 4,507 in 2023.

Domestic fires were the primary contributors to these outbreaks, with common causes, including electrical faults, improper use of Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG), indiscriminate burning of refuse and bushes, and the misuse of naked flames like mosquito coils, candles, and lighters.

Assistant Division Officer from the Public Affairs Department of the GNFS, Alex King Nartey, who shared the update during an interview on Joy News on Monday, November 18, 2024, emphasised that while fire outbreaks have increased, the situation should not be seen as a cause for panic.

He suggested that the rise in incidents could be attributed to improved public awareness, as more people are now familiar with the emergency numbers for reporting fires.

"Relatively, they (fire outbreaks) have gone up, but it is not to create a gloomy picture. It is rather to talk about how our education has gone down. People initially didn't know our emergency numbers so a lot of these fires went unreported.

"So, people are getting our numbers and calling, that is why. The figure doesn't pose an alarming threat. Now, if you see a layperson out there, out of 5 persons, I am sure 3 will be able to give our emergency numbers. So, the figures will automatically go up," he noted.

He noted that the surge in fire incidents, particularly in the Greater Accra Region, could be attributed to urbanisation.

"Some of the causes for this is that you realise that there has been a lot of urbanisation. People coming from the hinterlands trying to settle in Accra for greener pastures and whatever reasons. We know the unavailability of rooms, so people tend to resort to slum dwellings, and these slum dwellings are most of the time used for domestic purposes," he noted.

He called for the public's support in helping the GNFS combat the rising number of fire incidents in the country.

JKB/AE

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