A total of 663 fire outbreaks recorded between January and November 2025 tragically resulted in 8 deaths and 29 injuries.
Data from the Central Regional Fire Service shows the year 2025 began with a high frequency of fire incidents, peaking at 89 each in January and February, before it declined to the lowest of 33 in August.
The most fatal of these, the service said, occurred in the Upper Denkyira East Municipality of the Central Region, where a family of seven, including five children between the ages of 1 and 15, perished in a single blaze.
Deputy PRO for the Central Regional Fire Service, ADO1 Ebenezer Fiifi Dadzie, described these statistics as worrying, stressing that “most of them are caused by human error, carelessness.”
He said that many outbreaks stem from routine oversight, such as appliance neglect, smoking in bed and poor housekeeping habits like placing curtains behind refrigerators, which obstructs cooling coils and leads to overheating.
ADO1 Dadzie explained that fires are purely a scientific result of the “Fire Triangle”, which is the intersection of heat, fuel and oxygen.
“All the components in our rooms are fuel. It can be either solid, liquid, or gas. And then for fires to start, we need oxygen. Wherever there’s air, there’s oxygen. So, when these three components come together, there’s going to be fire.”
As the Christmas season draws closer, he cautioned the public against celebratory negligence, noting that human error remains the primary driver of these life-threatening disasters.
He urged the public to be vigilant, especially during the yuletide, to avoid fire outbreaks, especially as the dry harmattan winds intensify.
Beyond domestic safety, the Ghana National Fire Service is also closely monitoring public spaces.
ADO1 Dadzie warns that anyone visiting a hotel, pub, or church this Christmas should look for a specific safety mark before entering.
“So, when you enter into a commercial area, when you enter into a hotel, a pub, you are to see the fire certificate published at the reception. If you don’t see it, just ask. If they are not able to provide for you, then you advise yourself that the place is not safe for you to use.”
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