Suhum, Feb. 6, GNA - The Ghana National Fire Service (GNFS), in the Suhum Kraboa Coaltar District, last year recorded 70 out-break of fires in the area with 11 people dying.

Mr Nicolas Ebenezer Gavor, District Fire Officer, announced this at an anti-bush fire campaign at Sowatey, near Suhum on Thursday. He said most of the fire outbreaks were caused by electrical and candles lights at the domestic level.

Mr Gavor said between 2006 and 2008, his outfit trained 650 fire volunteers in the various communities in the district but due to lack of logistics, those volunteers were not functioning. He said all appeals to the District Assembly to provide them with some logistics to enable them to work effectively had proved futile. Mr Gavor said out of the two water hydrants in the district only one was functioning, adding, the only fire tender in the area had also broken down for the past one year. He said whenever there was an out break of fire in the district his outfit had to call for assistance from Nsawam, Koforidua and Asamankese.

Mr Gavor denied that the Service habitually responded to fire outbreaks late. He appealed to drivers and other road users to give way to fire tenders whenever they heard the siren to enable them to get to fire scenes early.