GNFS Raises Concern Over Increasing Fires in Urban Slums

Accra, Ghana - 12 May, 2025 - The Ghana National Fire Service (GNFS) has sounded the alarm about the growing threat of fires in urban slum settlements, citing the recent Sakumono-Asoprochona Railway enclave fire that left dozens homeless.

According to Divisional Officer Grade 2 Desmond Essoun Ackah, the GNFS's Head of Public Relations, the increasing frequency of such incidents is largely due to negligence, illegal power connections, and the unsafe use of open flames in these overcrowded and unregulated communities.

“Those people are low-income earners, and what we in the service have done over the period is to visit them, engage them, and let them know their responsibility, especially, when it comes to fire prevention.

“But as human as they are sometimes, they may be negligent, and for such places, illegal wiring is also rife. People use naked wires anyhow. Therefore these could be the causes of fires in those areas'', he said in an with Citi News on Sunday, May 11, 2025.

Ackah emphasized the need for Metropolitan, Municipal, and District Assemblies (MMDAs) to take immediate action to address the unchecked growth of slum communities and enforce safety measures to prevent future tragedies. He noted that while the GNFS has been engaging with residents in these areas to educate them on fire prevention, negligence and unsafe practices continue to pose a significant risk.

The GNFS official highlighted the importance of providing decent accommodation for low-income earners, who often resort to living in slum settlements due to economic constraints. By addressing the root causes of these settlements and ensuring that safety measures are in place, Ackah believes that the frequency and severity of fires in these areas can be significantly reduced.

''But if the assemblies are able to take this up to ensure that these slums do not erupt in the first place or better still, find a decent accommodation for these dwellers, it will go a long way to prevent some of these fires,” he stated.

Source: Lead News Online