Property owners told to give priority to fire safety

An officer of the Ghana National Fire Service has appealed to property owners to give prominence to fire safety measures to prevent accidents.

The Ashanti Regional Fire Officer, Mr Philip Aheng-Mensah, said they should seek professional help from the Service for installation of fire protection devices on their premises.

He said developers were required by law to submit their building plans to the service to enable the right devices, which would suit the architecture, to be installed.

Deputy Chief Fire Officer (DCFO) Aheng-Mensah told the GNA in an interview that people must accept to abide by building regulations.

He expressed concern about fire outbreaks in the Region often with devastating consequences in terms of fatality, injury and property destruction.

DCFO Aheng-Mensah identified gas leakage from cylinders as a major cause of domestic fires and said people should learn the proper way of turning off their burners and cylinders after cooking.

He said they should always first put off the valve (regulator) of the cylinder, allow the fire to burn off, before turning off the valve of the burner.

He said it was also important for households, offices and companies to have fire extinguishers, fire detection and warning systems as well as fire blankets in kitchens.

This could significantly help to manage any fire before it escalates, he added.