The Ghana National Fire Service (GNFS) recently highlighted how the lack of access routes impacted their ability to effectively combat fires at both the James Town and Madina Market locations.
The congested nature of these areas made it challenging for the fire service to navigate and extinguish the flames.
ADO1 Alex King Nartey, speaking to the Ghana News Agency (GNA) following the fire outbreak at the Madina market, emphasized that the absence of proper access routes hindered their firefighting efforts. Additionally, inadequate mapping of the market and the lack of fire hydrants further complicated their operations.
Despite these challenges, the GNFS was able to prevent the fire from spreading extensively, saving approximately 1000 stores, shops, and nearby properties after nine hours of intense firefighting.
The fire at the Madina market, which started around 9 pm and affected about 200 stores, remains of unknown origin. Mr. Abdul-Jalil Yakubu, the Assembly Member for the area, expressed concern over the extent of the damage and promised to collaborate with authorities and stakeholders to devise effective strategies moving forward.
In a related incident, a fire engulfed over 500 wooden structures in a slum in Jamestown, leaving numerous individuals homeless. ADO1 Nartey noted the absence of access routes for fire tenders at this location as well, stressing the importance of adhering to fire safety protocols to prevent such devastating incidents in the future.
