Meta Description:
GNFS Achieves Major Property Salvage Despite Fire Surge in 2024
The Ghana National Fire Service (GNFS) made headlines by saving over GHC550 million worth of properties from fire destruction in 2024, a 159.8% increase from 2023’s GHC211 million. This achievement, detailed in a May 1, 2025, press release by GNFS’s Desmond E. Ackah, showcases the agency’s improved fire management strategies. However, the year also saw a 7.8% rise in fire incidents, from 5,973 in 2023 to 6,436 in 2024, driven by harsh weather and lapses in fire safety compliance.
Major causes of fires included electrical faults, gas leakages, and indiscriminate burning of refuse and bushes. The Greater Accra Region recorded the highest number of incidents at 1,309, followed by Ashanti (1,145) and Eastern (648), while the North East Region had the fewest at 16. Despite the GNFS’s success in salvaging properties, the cost of fire damage surged by 51.9% to GHC270 million in 2024, up from GHC177 million in 2023, signaling persistent challenges.
Positive trends emerged in safety outcomes, with fire-related deaths dropping 7.41% from 27 to 25 and injuries halving from 108 to 54. Additionally, Out-On-Arrival cases—where fires were extinguished before GNFS arrived—rose slightly to 32.1%, saving GHC55 million in properties. This reflects growing public awareness and the impact of GNFS’s fire safety education efforts.
The GNFS emphasized the urgent need for modern equipment and more fire stations to meet the international response time standard of 4–5 minutes. They also plan to intensify public safety campaigns and community training to curb bushfires and enhance emergency response, aiming to further reduce fire risks across Ghana.
Source: 3News