The Winneba District Fire Command has advised the public not to attack fire personnel or vandalise their equipment to avenge the destruction caused by fire outbreaks.
Assistant Fire Officer, Kinsley Yeboah, and Station Fire Officer Justine Gokah, told the Ghana News Agency in an interview that, it was unreasonable for some people to blame fire officers who were rather committed to preventing the woes caused by fire outbreaks even at the peril of their lives, though the fires had been caused by negligence of others, or pure accidents.
It was also a criminal offence, they said, to destroy fire tenders and other fire-fighting equipment, and advised people to immediately call the Fire Service when they discover fire outbreaks instead of waiting till managing them get out of their control before seeking professional help.
They recounted a January 12 incident when their officers and their equipment came under attack when they went to Effutu Ansaful to extinguish fire that had gutted a wooden structure occupied by a widow with her four children.
The victim, Madam Esther Oweradua, was reportedly cooking in the structure when one of her children sparked a match stick that resulted in the fire burning the whole structure with their personal belongings.
They said on that day, the team had earlier dealt with a bush fire and the University of Winneba, and was on its way to tackle another at Gomoa Bewadize, when it received a call from the district office at Winneba to go and prevent the Effutu Ansaful fire from spreading.
But in their efforts bring the fire under total control, some youth in the area attacked them and vandalized the fire tender with stones without any reason, they said.
The officers said they were, however, able to stop the attack by arresting one of the instigators, who was handed over to the police.
The Officers said fire was causing too much destruction to lives and property and urged the public to exercise responsibility in dealing with the fires they set.
