The estimated cost of damage to properties was GH¢50,789, 4200 while the items salvaged was estimated at GH¢80,000.

The Northern Regional Public Relation Officer of the Ghana National Fire Service (GNFS), Assistant Divisional Officer ADO II Hudu Baba, disclosed this to the Ghanaian Times in an exclusive interview here in Tamale yesterday.

He said the percentage for the first two weeks of outbreak recorded in Northern Region was 16 per cent.

The PRO mentioned that fire outbreak in the region included 14 domestic fires, five commercial fire, three institutional fires, three bush fires, two crown fires, and vehicular, electrical, refuse dump fire one each.

He stated that an average of one fire was recorded in a day, in the region during the beginning of the year 2024, saying that no life lost was recorded.

ADO ll Baba mentioned the causes of some of the fire out­breaks in the region as electrical faults, arson, short circuit, inferior cables, compromised or poorly done electrical installation and over-aged wires.

Others were earth problems, gas leakages, unattended cooking, unattended lit candles, mosquito coils, matches and poorly done hot works, welding and deliberate acts.

He said the education and sensitisation programmes by the service in the region was impact­ing positively on the people as they were now able to manage small fires without fire breakouts.

“The positive results can also be attributed to the command sensitisation campaign dubbed: ‘1 fireman to educate 100 peo­ple,’” he stressed.

The PRO added that the command would continue with its sensitisation campaign, and urged the public to support them to work assiduously in order to reduce the rate of fires in the region.

He also called on the public to make positive changes in their attitudes with regard to the use of naked lights, gas cook­ing apparatus, electricity and electrical appliances, to forestall the occurrences of preventable fires.

ADO ll Baba then advised the public to avoid “pranking the service” on its emergency numbers and direct lines in the region, so that they could respond timely to real fire emer­gencies to save more lives and properties.