The management of the National Disaster Management Organization (NADMO) of the Ablekuma West Municipal Assembly in Accra has cautioned its residents to be cautious during this harmattan season to prevent any form of fire outbreaks.
Residents residing in the municipality have been advised to be wary of materials that can easily ignite fire to prevent any incidence of outbreaks.
Speaking in an interview with DGN, the District NADMO Administrator, Esperanza Mensah indicated that there is a need to protect lives and valuable properties in the harmattan season.
“As NADMO workers we have deployed all the necessary measures to help prevent any fire outbreaks, especially in this harmattan season.”
Residents must be extra careful when using cooking equipment like gas cylinders, coal pots, electric cooking, and others in the harmattan season and should properly dispose of used cigarettes” she posited.
The NADMO officials said it had embarked on a series of exercises which include the inspection of fuel and gas stations, markets areas, schools, homes, and public events places within the municipality to inspect fire extinguishers and also sensitize the residents on their usage.
“Our operation team frequently checks on existing and assembly points, fuel station operators are also being advice on how to treat the dirty oils by not exposing them which can catch fire ” she added.
The exercise led by Operations Officer Samuel Asiamah also undertook the cutting, disinfestations, and trimming down of trees along the path of larger electricity power transmission lines to prevent power outages.
The NADMO fire preventive measures come on the back of a seeming surge in fire outbreaks across the country recently.
The Ghana National Fire Service (GNFS) in a press release dated 1st January 2023, cautioned the public to be extra vigilant, especially in this Harmattan season to avert the alarming trend of fire outbreaks.
“It has been revealed that there has been a steady rise in fire cases in the country from November to December in 2022”.
“For December, 624 fires were recorded nationwide, representing a 10.1% increase in the month as against the same period last year, and in November 2022, 375 fires were recorded,”.
” The general public is once again cautioned to avoid the burning of bushes, rubbish among other negative practices that largely cause these fires, and join hands with the services to end this common enemy called undesired fires by simply making changes in their attitude towards fire safety” the GNFS statement indicated.
BY Prince Fiifi Yorke