Property worth GH¢4.4m lost to fire in Ashanti in 2011

Property worth GH¢4,407,284.00 was lost to fire in 769 fire incidents that occurred in the Ashanti Region last year, Assistant Divisional Officer II (ADO II) Desmond Ackah, has announced.

He said these were caused mostly by overloaded electrical gadgets, poorly done electrical installation and repair, inferior devices and careless handling of electric irons.

The Region in 2010 recorded a total of 629 fires with the cost of destruction estimated at GH¢2,296,690.00.

Mr Ackah, who is the Deputy Regional Fire Officer with responsibility for safety, was speaking at fire safety week organized at Atonsu-Agogo in Kumasi.

“Prevent Undesirable Fires to Save Lives and Property” was the theme.

It is part of the stepped up education campaign to bring down fire disasters in the Region.

ADO II Ackah urged the people to employ qualified electricians to wire their houses and also be more careful in their handling of matches, candles and lighters.

He reminded market women that it was an offence under the bye-laws of the Kumasi Metropolitan Assembly (KMA) to set fire in market places.

Station Officer Alexander Addo Korang, officer in-charge of Market Education, appealed to the public to promptly report fire outbreaks to the Ghana National Fire Service (GNFS) for prompt response.

He warned drivers against the dangerous practice of transferring liquefied petroleum gas from cylinders into vehicles.

Source: GNA