The fire volunteers who were drawn from hard-to-reach villages Osonson, Anyaboni, Brepaw Lower and Odometa during a drill used fire beaters to quench fire without water or fire extinguishers.

In an interview with Citi News the Eastern Regional Fire Service Commander ACFO Jennifer Naa Yaaley Quaye indicated that the service has already trained over 400 fire volunteers to help curtail bushfires in the region.

She charged fire volunteers in the region to discharge their duties dutifully and diligently to help reduce fire incidents in the region.

“We will urge all fire volunteers to discharge your duties dutifully. A total of 400 fire volunteers have been trained to help curtail dangers associated with bushfires within the various districts,” she stated.

The District Chief Executive for Upper Manya Krobo Joe Sam who pledged the commitment of the assembly to support the fire volunteers called on the district fire station to intensify educational programmes to help bring community members on board on the need to prevent bushfires.

He said the assembly will soon prosecute offenders engaging in bushfires.

“Let me highly commend the district fire officers for this commendable initiative and also congratulate the fire volunteers on your graduation. It’s our responsibility to prevent fire no matter where we are. I want to pledge that the assembly will not renege on its duties of preventing fire outbreaks. Let me encourage the district fire station to intensify education, We will soon prosecute offenders,” he said.

Emmanuel Kwasi Laweh, a former assemblyman who represented the Member of Parliament during the passing out believes equipping the fire volunteers with needed logistics will help sustain the gains in curtailing bushfires in their respective communities.

“I will appeal that the fire volunteers are equipped with the needed logistics,” he appealed.

The Eastern Region is noted as a bushfire (wildfire) prone area with bushfires recorded during the first quarter of the year at approximately 50 percent of the total fire outbreaks, the highest in the categories of emergency outbreaks.

Some district assembly security councils who are worried about the incidents are making arrangements to prosecute offenders.

The Eastern Region in the first quarter of 2022 recorded a total of 144 bushfires a number which has significantly decreased in the first quarter of 2023, a feat the command is working to further reduce.

The Asesewa District over the years also recorded several bushfire incidents from farmers operating in the area a situation the Eastern regional fire command is working assiduously to help reduce.

Activities of herdsmen, game hunters and farmers seeking to clear their lands for cultivation have been identified as major causes of bushfires in the region.