Tema, Jan. 20, GNA – Some residents of Bankuman Sweet-mother, a suburb of Tema Manhean were left homeless as fire gutted their wooden structures and property.
Mr. Ebenezer Yenzu, Public Relations Officer for the Tema Regional Office of the Ghana National Fire Service (GNFS) said a total of 22 wooden structures were burnt while a two-bedroom concrete house was partially burnt in the incident.
Mr. Yenzu said the GNFS received a call on the fire incident at about 1229 hours, and officers were discharged from its nearest station within eight minutes adding that an assessment upon arrival showed that about five structures were totally gutted.
He added that a second engine was called in to assist which also arrived at about 1245 hours, indicating that a third had to also be called in due to the rapid spread of the fire due to the dominance of wooden structures in the area.
According to him, they quickly put in measures to prevent the fire from spreading to adjourning structures as officers realized that the wind was traveling towards the western part of the area.
Mr. Yenzu appealed to the public to immediately contact the GNFS whenever a fire started instead of trying other means and calling after it had escalated.
He said their services were free, therefore, all that the public needed to do was to make good use of the service.
Meanwhile, some residents and victims believed that the fire occurred as a result of an explosion of a gas cylinder in one of the structures.
GNA