Even though no life was lost, the ravaging fire destroyed properties running into hundreds of Ghana cedis and rendered some of the slum dwellers homeless.

The timely response of personnel from the Ghana National Fire Service (GNFS) prevented the fire from spreading to other parts of the community.

Eyewitness

Eyewitnesses said the fire started around 1 a.m. from one of the wooden structures and spread into other parts of the slum.

Even though the immediate cause of the fire could not be established, it is suspected to have been caused by a candle that had been left burning overnight.

When the Daily Graphic got to the scene at around 8 a.m., the victims were still counting their losses.

The mood there was despair, dejection and frustration.

Response

According to the Public Relations Officer (PRO) of the GNFS, Prince Billy Anaglate, but for the swift response of the firefighters, the situation could have been disastrous.

"We received a distress call around 12:50 a.m. about a fire outbreak at Old Fadama. A team was dispatched immediately, and within a matter of six minutes, they were at the slum community. Our men faced challenges on how to access the place due to the overcrowded nature of the settlement. The fire was so severe that we had to call for reinforcement. But, after two hours of fighting the fire, we were able to confine it, thereby preventing it from spreading to other parts," he said.

Investigations

According to the officer, initially investigations showed that there were gas cylinders and other explosives in the wooden structures, a situation that fuelled the rapid spread of the fire.

He said further investigation showed that parts of the affected portion of the slum community was not connected to electricity while other parts were illegally connected to the national grid.

"It is most likely that the fire may have been caused by the use of unorthodox lighting sources or electrical fault," he stated.

Mr Anaglate said further investigation was underway to unravel the circumstances behind the incident.

Background

The Old Fadama slum is a fire-prone area due to the use of wooden materials for accommodation.

There is also a high rate of illegal connections to power, a situation that has caused fire outbreaks in the area at this time of the year.

Two years ago, a similar fire outbreak claimed two lives and displaced scores of residents.