Parts of the burnt Race Course Market
ABOUT SEVENTY SHOPS including metal containers and wooden shops were razed when fire swept through the Race Course Market in Kumasi on Monday morning.
Sadly, it’s the second fire outbreak in the city in just one week, after similar inferno gutted parts of the French Line Market, near the Kumasi Central Market, last week.
The cause of the Monday fire, which started around 7am, was not immediately known to the paper, as people at the scene could not state the exact cause of the blaze.
According to eyewitness reports, the fire started from one shop and spread through the market, burning into ashes items such as cowhide, spices and others.
Personnel of the Ghana National Fire Service (GNFS) were called to the scene, and they responded swiftly to battle the intense fire.
ACFO I Henry Giwah, Ashanti Regional Fire Commander, told the media that they received a call of fire outbreak around 7:30am, so they sent four fire tenders to the scene.
Unfortunately, he narrated, there were no fire hydrants in the Race Course Market, lamenting that lack of easy access to water posed a big challenge to the firefighters.
Despite the lack of water, ACFO I Henry Giwah stated that the firefighters managed to douse the inferno, to prevent further damage.
Speaking to journalists at the fire scene, he said investigations were still underway to determine the cause of the early Monday morning fire.
ACFO I Giwah also took the opportunity to admonish the citizenry to reduce their ‘ignition sources,’ especially during the dry season to help prevent fire outbreaks.
FROM I.F. Joe Awuah Jnr.,Kumasi