From January to September 2024, the Ghana National Fire Service (GNFS) recorded a 3.17% increase in fire outbreaks across the country, compared to the same period in 2023.
This year, 4,650 fire cases were reported, up from 4,507 in 2023. Domestic fires were the primary cause, often triggered by electrical issues, improper handling of Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG), careless burning of trash and bushes, and the wrong use of open flames like mosquito coils, candles, and lighters.
In an interview with Joy News on November 18, 2024, Assistant Division Officer Alex King Nartey from the GNFS Public Affairs Department stressed that while fire cases have risen, it should not be viewed as alarming but rather as an indication of increased public awareness and reporting.
“Relatively, they (fire outbreaks) have gone up, but it is not to create a gloomy picture. It is rather to talk about how our education has gone down. People initially didn’t know our emergency numbers so a lot of these fires went unreported.
He also pointed out that the spike in fire cases, particularly in the Greater Accra Region, can be attributed to rapid urbanisation.
“So, people are getting our numbers and calling, that is why. The figure doesn’t pose an alarming threat. Now, if you see a layperson out there, out of 5 persons, I am sure 3 will be able to give our emergency numbers. So, the figures will automatically go up,” he noted.
Nartey called for greater public involvement in supporting the GNFS to tackle the rising fire incidents in the country.