Fire Guts Structures At Old Fadama

Barely a month after fire gutted several structures at the Timber Market at Moose, near Ofankor, in the Ga North Municipality, similar fire has engulfed another timber market, also in the Greater Accra Region.

Yesterday’s fire, The Anchor gathered, occurred close to the Timber Market at Old Fadama, popularly called Sodom and Gomorrah, in the Amamomo Electoral Area, rendering many homeless.

According to reports, property worth thousands of Ghana cedis, got destroyed in the process. Pictures of the fire incident sighted by this paper showed residents trying to salvage some of the belongings, including bags and plastics, most which were partly burnt.

Affected residents who lost so much in the ravaging fire have also been rendered homeless not knowing where to pass the night and the subsequent ones.

Officials of the Ghana National Fire Service (GNFS) arrived at the fire scene to douse it, but they could not salvage the situation.

An eyewitness who spoke to journalists guessed the fire may have started from either an electric stove or fire from charcoal.

“In this place, we know that some people use electric stoves, while others use charcoal for cooking forgetting that we are close to the Timber Market.

“When the fire personnel came, it was difficult for them to quench the fire though they tried their best. As of now, everywhere is burnt. The people living here are about 360 to 380.”

Meanwhile at the Timber Market at Moose, near Ofankor, the ravaging fire, which started at 12:44 a.m. on January 23, was brought under control at about 7:05 a.m. by personnel of the GNFS.

Some of the items destroyed were machines for plying woods and assorted woods for sale. No casualty was recorded.

As at 8:00 a.m., when the media visited the scene, there was a huge crowd at the scene, gathered in groups discussing the tragedy.

Some victims were also spotted salvaging the debris. Some of the traders at the vicinity in an interview expressed shock at the incident.

Others commended the personnel of the Fire Service for the prompt response in preventing the ravaging fire from spreading to other shops.

At the time of leaving the scene, personnel of the GNFS were still on the ground conducting investigations to ascertain the cause of the fire.

The Accra Regional Operations Officer of the GNFS, Divisional Officer Grade One (DOI) Philip Kotey, said his outfit received a distress call at around 12:44 a.m. and proceeded to the scene to salvage the situation.

DOI Kotey said fire tenders from Legon, Amasaman, Kwame Nkrumah Interchange, GNFS headquarters, Abelemkpe and Madina were used to quench the fire.

He assured of the GNFS’ continuous determination in ensuring that fire outbreaks were reduced in the country.

The operations officer at the time said investigations into the cause of the fire were ongoing.

Source: Anchorghana