Tema, April 8, GNA – The Tema Regional Office of the Ghana National Fire Service (GNFS) has instituted an investigation into the Tema Timber Market fire outbreak, which destroyed property worth thousands of Ghana cedis on Wednesday.
Mr Franklin Maguse, Tema Regional Assistant Divisional Commander called on the affected persons to cooperate with the service to unravel the root cause of the fire outbreak.
Mr Maguse told the Ghana News Agency in an interview in Tema that preliminary investigations suggested that unguarded activities by some of the people provided the initial source of the fire which was aided by the strong wind that proceeded with the rain.
He said GNFS has upscaled its public sensitization to ensure that the fundamental fire safety principles for preventing fire events and managing their impact – Prevention, Detection and Communication, Occupant Protection, Containment, and Extinguishment are consistently applied.
He said GNFS had on several occasions organized sensitization and training with the Tema timber market traders, particularly concerning how to manage and prevent fire outbreaks.
Explaining safety measures, Mr Maguse said; “Fire safety encompasses the use of fire-resistant building materials, preventative actions, safe work practices, fire safety training, flame-resistant protective clothing, among other things”.
Mr Maguse said at a minimum, “your fire prevention plan must include a list of all major fire hazards, proper handling and storage procedures for hazardous materials, potential ignition sources and their control, and the type of fire protection equipment necessary to control each major hazard”.
He urged the public and traders to adhere to safety measures and protocols at their various homes and workplace.
Meanwhile, Mr Kusi Agyapong an eyewitness in an interview with the Ghana News Agency alleged that the fire was caused by the burning of the rubbish and pleaded with the government and the authorities to enforce the law on people who engaged in such inappropriate acts to avoid such disaster.
GNA