Adum: Congestion in market contributed to fire spread – Ashanti Regional Fire Commander

The Ashanti Regional Fire Commander ACFO II Peter Tetteh, has said the quick spread of the fire at Adum Market was due to the congestion in the market, which made it challenging for firefighters to quickly douse the fire from the burning shops.

Addressing the media at the scene on Friday, March 21, he explained that the firefighters arrived early to control the fire but was hindered by the lack of space, which he said delayed their efforts causing the fire to spread further.

“Our men got here early, but the unavailability of space caused a delay, making it difficult to contain the fire. The congestion in the market, with shops closely packed together, created major accessibility challenges for our personnel,” he explained.

ACFO II Peter Tetteh described the nature of the fire as “very complex” as it ravaged shops behind and in front of the building. He noted that his team has been able to control the situation in front of the building.

“The fire is very complex. Some shops contain different types of goods, which makes the situation even harder to handle. We have managed to extinguish the fire in the front buildings, and that section is now under control.

“However, we are still battling the flames at the back, where accessibility remains a problem. Our fire tenders are positioned behind the buildings, but limited space restricts our operations. Though we have ladders to fight the fire from the roof, accessing the right points has been difficult,” he added.

His comment follows the destruction of scores of shops at ‘Blue Light’,  Adum in the Central Business Centre of Kumasi due to fire outbreak on Friday dawn.

Some shop owners attempted to defy the ravaging fire to salvage wares. They threw caution to the wind despite warnings from the police and firefighters to stay away

A shop owner had to be forced out, and at a point a ladder was needed to evacuate him from danger.

Despite these challenges, the Ashanti Regional Fire Commander assured the public that his team was working tirelessly to bring the fire under control.

Meanwhile, the Police has arrested two persons for taking advantage of the situation to loot items from shops.

The post Adum: Congestion in market contributed to fire spread – Ashanti Regional Fire Commander first appeared on 3News.

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