Koforidua, Feb. 5, GNA - The Eastern Regional office of the Ghana National Fire Service (GNFS) recorded 150 fire outbreaks in 2004 which destroyed properties valued about 314,184,000 million cedis. There were 208 reported fire outbreaks in 2003 damaging properties valued at about 960 million cedis.

The Regional Fire Officer, Mr Solomon Mensah, said this at Koforidua on Friday at a reception organised by his outfit. Mr Mensah said the reduction of 27.9 per cent in fire outbreaks in the region was as a result of preventive measures instituted by the Service, particularly, the regular public awareness programmes that were carried out last year.

He said bush fires, domestic and vehicular fires topped cases of fire outbreaks in the region, saying, in 2003 as many as 100 domestic fire incidents were recorded.

Mr Mensah expressed concern about the lack of adequate serviceable fire engines in the region, saying out 17 Fire Tenders allocated to the region, only 11 were operational.

At Begoro in the Fanteakwa District, the District Fire Officer, Mark Agyepong Dwemoh, said six bush fires and two domestic fires destroyed property worth several millions of cedis last year. Addressing the annual review meeting of the Ghana Health Service at Begoro on Friday, he said the bush fires destroyed three acres of cassava and five acres of oil palm plantation while the domestic fires damaged personal belongings.

There were no casualties in both categories.