In an interview with the Ghana News Agency, Divisional Officer I (DOI) Alex King Nartey, from the GNFS Public Relations Department, emphasized the need for fire safety installations such as extinguishers, smoke detectors, and proper access routes.
He cautioned against hastily reconstructing the market using combustible materials like wood, particularly following the devastating January 2, 2025, fire.
Nartey urged for the market’s reconstruction to follow modern safety standards to prevent future risks.
“We are not in support of the pace of rebuilding because ideally, even if the place has to be rebuilt, it has to be done bearing in mind or putting in place fire safety measures and modern fire prevention gadgets that will help prevent a similar occurrence in future.
These were the same things the traders did in the past and caused massive destruction anytime there was a fire in the area. But you can’t keep on doing the same old things and expect different results,” he added.
DOI Nartey said to prevent future fire outbreaks there was the need to put up proper structures and not wooden structures as witnessed in the past.
The rebuilding efforts come in the wake of a devastating fire that broke out last Wednesday night, destroying large sections of the Kantamanto market.
In response, the fire victims have started reconstructing their structures as quickly as possible, driven by the fear that local authorities may seize the land.
They suspect arson may have been the cause of the fire, further fueling their urgency to rebuild before any official action is taken.
DOI Nartey urged the Accra Metropolitan Assembly to take charge of the rebuilding process and develop a comprehensive plan to ensure proper safety measures are implemented, including, if possible, the establishment of a fire post for a prompt response in case of future incidents.
He reassured the fire victims that the GNFS was actively investigating the cause of the fire and would release a report soon.
DOI Nartey also stressed the need of the public contacting the GNFS early when a fire occurs, rather than waiting for the situation to escalate.
He appealed to the government to adequately equip the GNFS with fire tenders and other necessary resources to enable them to respond more efficiently to future fire outbreaks.
GNA
