The Ghana National Fire Service (GNFS) has asked the public and schools to obey basic fire rules as the harmattan has intensified in the country.
Authorities of the Service say, although the number of fire outbreaks are gradually reducing, safety precaution must still be observed.
Speaking to Citi News, Public Relations Officer of GNFS, Divisional Officer Grade II, Ellis Robinson Okoe called on the general public to be cautious during the period to avert any inferno.
“The service calls on the public to be more cautions. In respect of this, people should be careful about the use of naked flames in their homes. In the schools, some of the students use naked flames and so there should be measures so that these things are avoided. We will expect people to adhere to basic fire safety rules.”
Mr. Robinson Okoe also added that educational institutions must recruit safety officers to ensure the safety of their facilities.
“Fire Service has recommended that every school employs or engages a fire safety officer. It should not necessarily be a person who works with the fire service but it can be a professional in that area to ensure that there are safety routines in the school to ensure that the occupants of the school are safe.”
Meteo Agency also cautions
The harmattan condition which seemed relaxed over the past two weeks intensified from February 10, 2020.
The Ghana Meteorological Agency (GMet) thus urged the public to observe personal caution because the dry and hazy conditions experienced across the country are expected to continue into March 2020.
According to the acting Head of the Central Analysis and Forecast Office of GMet, Felicity Ahafianyo, although there may be sunny breaks in between the period, the harmattan season will continue for the next few weeks before giving way for the hot and dry conditions.
“[What we are experiencing now] is a normal occurrence for the season. In our weekly forecast we issued on Monday, we indicated that there will be intensification [of the harmattan] from the midweek into the weekend and this is what we are experiencing,” she told Citi News.
Harmattan and fires
In Ghana, residential and industrial fires during the harmattan period are more frequent than at any other time of the year.
There are a lot more reports of fire outbreaks due to the dry weather.
The fire spread easily due to the low humidity and dry conditions.
Several lives have also been lost in such periods.
It becomes more worrying forcing regulators to educate the public to be careful when using potentially inflammable devices in their homes especially during the season.
Recently, some Senior High Schools have had parts of their dormitory blocks razed by fire.
