Assistant Chief Fire Officer II Rashid Kwame Nisawu , Greater Accra Fire Commander, has urged authorities to implement stricter regulations to curb domestic activities in market spaces, which he identifies as a major cause of frequent fire outbreaks.
Speaking on JoyNews Dialogue titled “From Ashes to Action,” monitored by Kumasi Mail, Nisawu highlighted the misuse of markets for domestic purposes, including cooking, sleeping, and bathing, as critical risks.
Nisawu explained that domestic practices such as lighting mosquito coils or candles while sleeping in markets often lead to fires.
“In Ghana, marketplaces are used for domestic purposes. When you sleep in the market and mosquitoes disturb you at night, you will likely use a coil. If the lights go out, you will light a candle. However, when you are asleep, you are unaware of your surroundings, and these actions can definitely cause fires”.
The commander emphasized that until markets are strictly dedicated to trading, with no room for cooking, sleeping, or bathing, the risk of fires will persist.
“Until we dedicate markets solely for trading and prohibit people from cooking, sleeping, bathing, and treating markets as their homes, we will continue to face challenges”, he stated.
He also pointed out the improper storage of flammable materials as another major concern.
Referencing a recent incident in Adum, Nisawu noted that explosions during fires are often caused by hazardous goods stored improperly.
“The storage of flammables is a significant concern. If you watch the clip of Adum carefully, you will see that as the market was burning, there was an explosion at one point. Ask yourself what caused that explosion—it was the storage of flammable materials.
“I have investigated fires where we found that the items being sold were the cause of the fire. Mixing carbide with water can generate fire.”
In one striking example, Nisawu recounted an investigation where a trader’s carbide reacted with water, generating smoke. In an attempt to extinguish the fire, more water was added, exacerbating the situation and leading to a massive fire.
He said “There was a sensitive fire incident at a market that I would prefer not to mention. The cause of the fire was linked to a trader selling carbide. Water accidentally spilled onto the carbide, generating smoke. The trader, unaware of the chemical reaction between carbide and water, attempted to extinguish the fire by adding more water. This action intensified the reaction, leading to a large fire. I personally led the investigation into this incident.”
Nisawu proposed market segmentation as a preventive measure.
“We should designate specific lanes for different goods—gloves sellers in one lane, tomatoes sellers in another—to ensure safer trading environments,” he suggested.
Source :www.kumasimail.com : Kwadwo Owusu
