Sunyani lost at least GHȼ160,000 to fire outbreaks in 2011

A total of 97 fire outbreaks were recorded in Sunyani Municipality in 2011 as against 79 in 2010.

Mr Francis Gaisie, Municipal Chief Officer of the Ghana National Fire Service (GNFS) who made this known to the Ghana News Agency in Sunyani said the fire outbreaks resulted in the loss of property valued at GHȼ166,532,120.00 in 2011 and GHȼ146,082.00 in 2010.

He expressed concern about the rapid increase in fire disasters in mid-January this year, which include domestic, bush, vehicular, electrical, institutional and community fires.

Mr Gaisie indicated that the careless use of liquefied petroleum gas by commercial and domestic users, electricity and the mishandling of naked fire such as candles and matches were the major causes of fire outbreaks in the municipality.

He advised landlords and landladies to re-wire old cables to curb the fire menace.

Mr Sulemana Aryee, Municipal Fire Officer of the GNFS in-charge of Education and Research noted that challenges such as bad layouts and illegal erection of structures sometimes hindered the quick response of the service to emergency cases.

“Sometimes residents shun us (GNFS) in our attempt to educate them on the menace and measures they could take against fire outbreaks,” he said and appealed for the co-operation of the public to help protect lives and property.

Mr Aryee called on the Municipal Assembly to enforce its bye-laws on illegal erection of structures for the easy movement of fire personnel during emergencies.

He also urged the government and non-governmental agencies to help provide the GNFS with logistics to help the personnel to get to the hinterlands to educate the inhabitants on measures to forestall fire outbreaks.

Source: GNA