Obuasi records 16 fire outbreaks start of 2013

At least 16 fire outbreaks have occurred in the Obuasi Municipality since the beginning of this year causing damage to over 20 households.

The damage caused could not be assessed immediately but it is estimated to run into hundreds of Ghana cedis.

“There were no casualties but the rate at which the fire incidence is occurring in the municipality is worrisome,” Mr Lawrence Yeboah, Operations Officer of the Obuasi Office of the Ghana National Fire Service, told the Ghana News Agency in an interview on Monday.

In all, he said, 20 fire outbreaks had been reported to the station out of which four turned out to be false calls and warned the public against that act.

Mr Yeboah said out of the 16, six were domestic fires and attributed them to overloading of sockets and improper wiring.

He advised the public to ensure that all electrical gadgets were put off and removed from the sockets when leaving the house to help check fire disasters.

He said: “Road blocks for funerals and other social activities are another challenge to the service,” and that the public must seek permission from the police who would in turn inform the fire service of such road blocks.

Commenting on the weakness of the station’s fire tender, Mr Yeboah said that was a headache to the firemen and women and appealed to the authorities to help address it.

“The tender is old, over 13 years now and the station needs replacement.  We therefore call for public support in our effort to save lives and property,” he said.

Source: GNA