2014: Ghc13, 846,786 lost in fire outbreaks nationwide

Last year, properties lost in fire outbreaks nationwide were estimated at a total of Ghc13, 846,786 in 3,870 fire incidents, with 32 people losing their lives.

Out of that amount, only Ghc15, 127 worth of properties was salvaged nationwide.

The total amount for 2014, is a decrease as compared to the records of 2013, where reports indicate that Ghc25, 094,369 was documented as the cost of loss of properties within that year in 5,496 fire cases.

The Ashanti Region lost the most properties, estimated at Ghc9, 973,191, in 703 fire outbreaks that resulted in seven deaths.

Five lives were lost in the Brong Ahafo Region, where the second highest loss of properties was recorded in a total of Ghc1, 483,518 in 382 fire outbreaks nationwide.

The Eastern Region came in third with a total of Ghc1, 424,326 for cost of loss of properties in 291 fire incidents with a single death.

Towing in line was the Western Region with a total cost Ghc397, 163 in property loss involving 243 fire cases with six deaths.

Following was the Volta Region with three deaths in 104 fire outbreaks with a total loss of Ghc298, 350 in properties.

The Upper East Region recorded Ghc118, 542 as the cost of properties lost in the region in 161 fire incidents with no death.

The Northern Region recorded Ghc105, 044 in 203 fire cases with no death.

The least amount of property loss estimated at Ghc46, 651 was recorded in the Tema Region in 257 fire incidents with a single death.

However, the headquarters, Central, Upper West and Greater Accra Regions did not have any documented cost of loss of property per the statistics made available to The Finder.

Domestic fires topped the list of the fire classifications of the type of fire by the Ghana National Fire Service (GNFS) with 1,665 cases.

The second was vehicular fires, which scored 522 cases, followed by electrical fires with 499 cases.

The others are commercial fires, 461; others, 335; and bush fires, 207. The rest are industrial fires, 92; and institutional fires, 89.