Reflections by S.M.A: When fire becomes routine, we have failed

Barely twenty-four hours after fire ravaged a cluster of mechanic shops at Sofoline in Kumasi, another inferno swept through the Anwona Market near Afful Nkwanta. The blaze, which reportedly started around 10 p.m. in a section where flammable materials were stored, destroyed shops, merchandise and equipment painstakingly built over years. Once again, traders watched helplessly as their livelihoods went up in flames.

Disturbingly, this incident did not shock the nation. It merely added to a growing list of market and industrial fires that have become almost routine in Ghana.

That normalisation should worry us all.

A pattern we can no longer ignore

From Makola and Kantamanto in Accra to Kejetia, Sofoline and Anwona in Kumasi, fire outbreaks have repeatedly exposed the fragility of Ghana’s commercial infrastructure.

Each incident follows a predictable script: fire breaks out, emergency responders battle the flames under difficult conditions, political leaders visit the scene, sympathy is expressed, investigations are promised — and then, quietly, life moves on until the next disaster strikes.

Yet these fires are not acts of fate. They are symptoms of deep-seated neglect — of fire safety education, urban planning, enforcement of regulations, and sustained investment in emergency services.

When fires occur with such frequency, they cease to be isolated incidents and become indicators of systemic failure.

Markets as economic pillars, not mere trading spaces

Markets are often discussed as informal spaces, but in economic reality they are critical engines of growth, employment and domestic trade. They support millions of livelihoods, especially women-led micro and small enterprises. Many traders operate on thin margins, rely on informal credit, and reinvest daily proceeds to keep their businesses alive.

When fire destroys a market, it does more than burn goods. It collapses household incomes, disrupts supply chains, increases commodity prices, and pushes vulnerable families into long-term poverty. Insurance coverage among traders remains extremely low, meaning recovery is slow, incomplete or impossible.

In business terms, frequent fires translate into capital destruction on a massive scale — capital that the economy can ill afford to lose.

The inflationary and fiscal impact

Fire outbreaks also have wider macroeconomic implications. The destruction of goods reduces supply, particularly of foodstuffs, clothing and essential services, thereby fuelling inflationary pressures. Government loses revenue through reduced market tolls, taxes and levies, while local assemblies incur unplanned expenditure on relief and reconstruction.

Moreover, persistent fire incidents undermine investor confidence in Ghana’s urban commercial centres. If traders cannot operate safely, and if industrial clusters remain vulnerable, productivity suffers and economic resilience weakens.

Fire, therefore, is not merely a safety issue. It is a business and development issue.

Prevention: The Cheapest and Most Effective Investment

Evidence from fire investigations consistently points to preventable causes: faulty or overloaded electrical wiring, illegal power connections, unsafe cooking practices, poor storage of flammable materials, and disregard for basic safety standards.

In many markets, electrical installations are decades old, poorly maintained and dangerously modified to meet growing demand. Flammable goods — from chemicals to footwear materials, fuel and lubricants — are stored in congested spaces with little ventilation or fire separation. Access routes for emergency vehicles are often blocked by unregulated structures and congestion.

Fire prevention education remains weak, irregular and poorly coordinated. Many traders do not know how to respond in the early stages of a fire, how to use extinguishers, or how to safely store combustible materials. Night-time fires, such as the Anwona incident, often spread uncontrollably before help arrives.

This knowledge gap is not accidental. It reflects years of inadequate prioritisation of fire safety education at community, municipal and national levels.

Education Must Become a Continuous Process

Fire prevention education cannot be a once-a-year exercise or a ceremonial launch during Fire Awareness Week. It must be continuous, practical and compulsory, especially in high-risk environments such as markets, industrial areas and transport hubs.

Metropolitan, municipal and district assemblies must work closely with market associations, trade unions and the Ghana National Fire Service (GNFS) to organise regular training sessions, inspections and drills. These programmes should be delivered in local languages, tailored to specific trades, and focused on practical risk reduction.

Licensing and allocation of market spaces should be tied to compliance with basic fire safety standards, including safe wiring, designated storage for flammable materials, functional extinguishers, and clear access routes.

Fire safety should be treated with the same seriousness as public health or environmental sanitation — as a collective responsibility essential to national well-being.

The Ghana National Fire Service: A Critical Institution, Undervalued

Public frustration after major fires often turns toward the Ghana National Fire Service. Response times are questioned, equipment criticised, and personnel blamed. While accountability is important, this criticism often ignores a fundamental reality: we expect world-class performance from an under-resourced institution.

Many fire stations operate with ageing tenders, limited water supply, obsolete protective gear and inadequate modern firefighting technology. Urban congestion, poor road access and illegal structures further delay response times. In some cases, fire personnel arrive promptly but lack the equipment needed to combat complex fires involving chemicals, fuel or dense commercial structures.

Firefighters put their lives at risk daily, yet the service remains chronically underfunded and undervalued in national budgeting priorities.

A country that depends so heavily on markets and small enterprises cannot afford to treat its Fire Service as an afterthought.

Resourcing the Fire Service Is an Economic Imperative

Properly resourcing the GNFS should be seen not as a cost, but as an investment in economic protection. Modern fire tenders, reliable water infrastructure, advanced detection equipment and continuous professional training are essential in rapidly urbanising cities.

Strategic placement of fire stations, especially near major markets and industrial zones, can significantly reduce response times and losses. Collaboration with private sector stakeholders — including market authorities, developers and insurers — can help mobilise additional resources and expertise.

In many countries, fire services are integral to urban planning and economic risk management. Ghana must move in that direction if it is serious about protecting its commercial base.

Urban Planning and Enforcement: The Missing Links

Fire prevention cannot succeed without addressing the broader issues of urban planning and enforcement. Congested markets, unauthorised structures, blocked access routes and weak regulatory oversight create conditions where even a small spark can become a catastrophe.

Local authorities must enforce planning and safety regulations consistently and without fear or favour. Political interference and selective enforcement only increase long-term risk and cost.

Markets must be redesigned with fire safety in mind — incorporating fire lanes, hydrants, zoning of high-risk materials, and adequate spacing. Retrofitting existing markets may be challenging, but inaction is far more expensive.

Shared Responsibility, National Resolve

Ultimately, preventing market fires requires shared responsibility. Government must provide policy direction, funding and enforcement.

Metropolitan assemblies must regulate and educate. Market leaders and traders must adopt safer practices. Utility providers must ensure safe and reliable infrastructure.

Fire does not discriminate between the careless and the cautious when systems fail. But when prevention becomes a shared culture, disasters become rare exceptions rather than recurring headlines.

A National Wake-Up Call

The fires at Sofoline and Anwona are not just Kumasi’s problem. They are warnings to the entire nation.

If we continue to respond to fires only after they occur, we will remain trapped in a cycle of loss, sympathy and rebuilding — poorer each time. If we continue to underfund prevention and emergency response, we will keep paying a far higher price in destroyed livelihoods and stalled development.

Fire may be inevitable, but disaster is not.

If fires continue to sweep through our markets with frightening regularity, then the problem is no longer fire.
It is our collective indifference — and our failure to act decisively.

And that, unlike fire, is far harder to extinguish.

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