The Ghana National Fire Service (GNFS) has expressed growing concern over what it describes as an escalating and largely preventable surge in fire outbreaks across the Greater Accra and Tema Metropolitan areas.
According to the Service, the two urban centres now record an alarming average of about 20 fire incidents daily in Accra and as many as 25 in some instances in Tema, a situation officials say is placing immense pressure on emergency response systems.
Assistant Divisional Officer Alex King Nartey, speaking on Channel One TV’s Breakfast Daily on Friday, May 1, said the pattern points strongly to human negligence rather than unavoidable accidents.
“Believe it or not, no less than 20 fires in Accra. In Tema alone, no less than 25 in a day,” he stated, describing the trend as worrying.
He questioned the recurring nature of the incidents, insisting that most of them could be avoided if basic safety precautions were observed.
“What is it we are not doing right? For which you see fire here, fire there,” he said.
Mr Nartey explained that common behaviours such as leaving burning refuse unattended, careless cooking practices, and neglecting active fire sources continue to be major triggers of outbreaks.
He noted that in several cases, individuals set fire to waste and abandon it, allowing wind to spread embers to nearby flammable materials, leading to avoidable disasters. In other instances, distractions during cooking or other activities result in fire being left unsupervised.
“Someone knows they are burning refuse but goes back to sleep. Someone is cooking, gets a call, lies down and sleeps. These fires can start just like that,” he explained.
He emphasised that beyond firefighting, the GNFS is intensifying public education and safety campaigns to curb the rising incidents.
Mr Nartey urged residents to adopt stricter fire safety practices, warning that continued carelessness could further worsen the situation in already densely populated urban areas.
