Statistics from the Greater Accra Region indicate that 662 fires were recorded in the first half of 2023. This represents a 3 percent increase from 640 fires that were recorded during the same period in 2022.

Domestic fires top the chat with 234 fire outbreaks as compared to 197 fires recorded in 2022.

This was disclosed by the Greater Accra Regional Commander of the Ghana National Fire Service, ACFO1 Roberta Aggrey-Ghanson during a media engagement in Accra.

The meeting forms part of ongoing activities to sensitize the public on fire safety, which is a shared responsibility.

The mandate of the media is to educate, inform and entertain the public while that of the Ghana National Fire Service, GNFS, is to organize public fire education programmes to create and sustain awareness of the hazards of fire and heighten the role of the individual in the prevention of fire.

To strengthen the ties between the GNFS and the media in the dissemination of information about the Service’s programmes and initiatives to the public, the Greater Accra Regional Command held a meeting with some journalists.

Discussions at the Media engagement centered on concerns raised by the public, especially on fire personnel attending to fire scenes with empty fire tenders, the capacity of the fire tenders. Prank calls, attitudinal change, fire reports, water hydrates, prank calls, the need for escape routes, capacity of fire tankers and horse laying among others

The Regional command says a total of 24 people suffered various degrees of injuries and other related incidents in the first half of 2023, as compared to 69 causalities recorded in that same period in 2022.

The region also in the first half of 2023 responded to 22 rescue incidents as well as 22 road traffic accidents. 66 persons lost their lives in fires and other related incidents in the first half of 2023. The estimated cost of damages caused in the first half of 2023, amounted to 34, 590,914 cedis.

The annual Fire Safety Week brings awareness to the public on the negative devastating effects of undesired fires on the nation and to re-echo that fire prevention and safety is a shared responsibility amongst all and sundry.