Details are emerging about the cause of a fire outbreak that gutted the house of Ghanaian actress, Beverley Afaglo at Community 9 in Tema, Accra.
The fire which lit up and spewed thick smoke into the evening sky for hours attracted scores of people to the scene to help save the situation but all efforts failed.
The situation is however generating some controversy as to what might have caused the fire.
However, preliminary investigations by Ghana National Fire Service (GNFS) indicate that the fire was sparked as a result of an opened fire on the premises.
According to the Fire Service in Tema, the house was burnt as a result of someone burning items in a compound behind the house.
A further shocking revelation by the fire service shows that the house was highly inflamed before they were contacted.
Tema Deputy Regional Fire Officer of the Ghana National Fire Service (GNFS) Divisional Officer Grade I Timothy Affum told DGN Online that his outfit received a call at 3:30 pm August 9, 2021, that there had been a fire outbreak at a house at Community 9 in Tema and they proceeded immediately to the scene.
According to him, three fire Tenders from Tema Region, Ashaiman and Industrial Area including water tankers were dispatched to the scene to extinguish the inferno which lasted for over two hours when the fire officers arrived.
He said it took a team of fire officers and men, three fire tenders and one water tanker to bring the fire under control at about 4 pm.
However, he mentioned that by 5:46 pm the fire was put out completely.
DOG 1 Affum indicated that “although the fire was out of hand before we were contacted we managed to save the situation and the spread of the fire to adjoining properties. The building was highly inflamed when we arrive and this shows that they didn’t contact us on time.”
Asking what might have caused the fire, the Tema Deputy Regional Fire boss stated that “our preliminary investigation shows that the fire started as a result of someone burning items at the compound, a space like a garden behind the house but in the same premises and that caused the fire. Although this is not concrete, preliminary investigations point to that fact.”
He, however, debunked allegations that they delayed in putting out the fire, saying that “three fire engines were dispatched to the scene and water tanker which came with a separate water pump to help increase the pressure from the water tank and we used all these in dousing a fire in a house which has 6 to 12 rooms.”
The Regional Fire commander, therefore, appealed to the public to appreciate the effort of fighters as a result of the condition they work under than unnecessary criticism.
Source: ghanaguardian.com
