The Ghana National Fire Service (GNFS) has announced that the devastating fire that engulfed parts of Kumasi’s central business district has finally been brought under control after five hours and 40 minutes of intense firefighting.
A post from the GNFS confirmed that overhaul operations are currently underway to eliminate any remaining pockets of fire.
The update comes after hours of battling flames that tore through multiple two-story buildings at the Blue Light Arena, near Hello FM, destroying several shops in the process.
Speaking to the media at the scene, Ashanti Regional Fire Commander ACFO II Peter Tetteh shed light on the challenges faced by firefighters, citing congestion in the market as a major factor that delayed their efforts.
“Our men got here early, but the unavailability of space caused a delay, making it difficult to contain the fire. The congestion in the market, with shops closely packed together, created major accessibility challenges for our personnel,” he stated.
He also explained that the nature of the goods stored in the shops made firefighting even more complicated.
“The fire is very complex. Some shops contain different types of goods, which makes the situation even harder to handle. We have managed to extinguish the fire in the front buildings, and that section is now under control.
“However, we are still battling the flames at the back, where accessibility remains a problem. Our fire tenders are positioned behind the buildings, but limited space restricts our operations. Though we have ladders to fight the fire from the roof, accessing the right points has been difficult,” he said.
