Huge blaze destroys shops at Bekwai

A violent fire has swept through about 15 shops at Bekwai in the Ashanti Region, destroying properties worth thousands of Ghana cedis.

The incident occurred just before 19:00hrs on Monday, January 6, 2020, a few meters away from a fuel station.

Witnesses told DailymailGh that the fire started at a tailoring shop after occupants burnt debris near the wooden structure.

Firefighters in the Bekwai Municipality were called to the scene as the fire suddenly swept through other adjoining shops including a pharmacy shop.

Items including empty sacks, cosmetic products as well as clothes were burnt in the fire.

Although the official cause of the fire is not yet known officials say investigations have begun into the incident.

Firefighters were said to have had a hard time dousing the fire as they struggled to get access to water to douse the blaze.

2020: 243 fires recorded in less than one week — GNFS

At least 243 fire incidents have been recorded within a spate of one week in January 2020 alone.

Public Relations Officer of the Ghana National Fire Service (GNFS), Ellis Robinson Okoe urged the public to ensure grown weeds are clear around their houses.

“We should avoid grown weeds around our houses around this time you realize that the weeds are dry, We need to clear all weeds in our houses. We shouldn’t park our cars near the weeds because when they are dry and the fire is coming from somewhere it can spread and gradually burn your car.”

Mr. Okoe further urged the public to be fire-alert in their domestic activities.

“We don’t need to keep flammable liquids in the house like petrol, turpentine and the rest and then a lot of people use gas in the house but we observe that people don’t maintain their regulators. The moment is getting spoilt they put a stone on it, it is very dangerous”, the fire official stated.

Source: Jonathan Ofori, Daily Mail GH