Divisional Officer III Ebenezer Yenzu, Public Relations Officer, Tema Regional Command of the Ghana National Fire Service (GNFS), says the region has reached 19.6 per cent of its targeted 20 per cent rate to reduce fire incidence.

He said the reduction was seen in all categories, saying that 367 fires were recorded from January to June in 2022; however, it was reduced to 295 cases in 2023.

He added that 163 fires were recorded in the first quarter of 2023, which had also reduced to 132 in the second quarter, explaining that the harmattan season constituted the hike in the first quarter.

Speaking to the Ghana News Agency in Tema, Yenzu said the region had planned to reduce 20 per cent of fire cases by the end of 2023; however, that target had almost been realized at the end of the second quarter of the year.

He said domestic fire cases in 2022 were 111, reduced to 90 in 2023, and vehicular fires also reduced to 30 in 2023 from 33 in 2022.

He added that one death was recorded during the same period last year, but no death was recorded so far this year.

He mentioned that bushfires had decreased due to the interventions of the service, stressing that the service would continue engaging farmers, especially to educate them on ways of putting out fires and the need to reduce bush burning, especially in the dry season.

“We always have a spike in fires within the first quarter, but if it goes up well, we’ll have an indication when we’re entering the second quarter,” he stated.

DOIII Yenzu added that some branches of the GNFS joined forces to educate drivers on maintenance culture and checked their fire extinguishers to ensure that they had the right size of extinguishers for their vehicles.

He commended the Ghana Private Road Transport Union (GPRTU) for organizing their members for sanitization with the aim of reducing vehicular fires.