Kumasi, July 8, GNA - The Ashanti Region recorded about 279 fire outbreaks which destroyed property worth about 26.2 billion cedis during the first quarter of this year.

Mr Franklin Masiku, Ashanti Regional Public Relations Officer of the Ghana National Fire Service (GNFS) who disclosed this, said the commonest cases were domestic outbreaks.

He was addressing pupils of the Chirapatre Catholic primary school in the Kumasi metropolis on Tuesday as part of the Service's sensitisation programme on fire prevention.

Mr Masiku described the situation as very alarming and said most of the fires could have been prevented or reduced through carefulness, pointing out that most of the fires were caused through carelessness. He asked people to desist from buying sub-standard electric wires and equipment, which he said, were the major causes of domestic fire outbreaks as well as at workplaces.

Mr. Issifu Alhassan, a Fire Safety Officer, asked people to always engage the services of qualified electricians to wire their buildings for them to help reduce fires caused by faulty wiring and electrical gadgets.

He asked parents to always supervise their children in handling matches and other lighters and ensure that they abide by all safety measures in handling gas in the homes, which he noted was now being widely used in the homes.