A fire outbreak on Wednesday night destroyed several wooden structures that accommodated hundreds of people in an area behind the Astonia Lodge Annexe in Ahodwo, Kumasi, in the Ashanti Region.

The blaze, which engulfed numerous structures, destroyed properties, personal belongings, and container shops belonging to traders operating in the area.

A swift response by personnel from the Kumasi Metro office of the Ghana National Fire Service (GNFS), along with support from other nearby fire stations, helped prevent the inferno from causing further damage to adjoining facilities.

How it occurred

The Public Relations Officer (PRO) of the Ashanti Regional Office of the GNFS, DO3 Peter Addai, said the fire service received a distress call about the incident around 9:00 p.m.

He explained that due to the severity of the fire, three additional fire tenders were dispatched to the scene to help bring the blaze under control. “The firefighters managed to bring the fire under control around 11:18 p.m.,” he stated.

He added that the fire was fully extinguished after midnight and confirmed that investigations into the cause of the incident are currently underway.

Meanwhile, no casualties were recorded.

Victims speak

Some of the affected residents said they were unable to salvage any of their belongings due to the intensity of the fire.

One resident, who was far from the scene at the time and rushed back upon hearing the news, said: “I attempted to enter my room to pick up some of my items, but I was prevented by some neighbours.”