In order to reduce residential fires, the Ghana National Fire Service (GNFS) said it would put into effect a regulation requiring the installation of early fire detection systems in every home.

Domestic fires have led all types of fires in the nation over the past ten years, according to the Service's statistics report.

According to the data, 23,394 of the 59,933 fire outbreaks that occurred between 2013 and 2022 were caused by household fires, accounting for 39 percent of all fires.

In an interview with Citi News, Assistant Chief Fire Officer (ACFO) Timothy Osafo-Affum, Director of Public Relations for the Ghana National Fire Service, stated that the organization is working with the private sector to take action to prevent home fire breakouts.

“We are going to implement a new law—that is, L.I. 2249 (Fire Precaution Premises Regulation, 2015). This law mandates the fire service to ensure that every home is provided with early fire detection and fighting systems. What we are going to do is give every home a smoke detector, which is the simplest form of the early warning system.”

Recently, the Ghana National Fire Service announced, it will be rolling out a mandatory policy to compel drivers to keep fire extinguishers in their vehicles at all times.

The Service said the policy will reduce the rampant outbreak of fires and the damages caused.

Volta Region was selected for the pilot exercise, which is expected to eventually be rolled out across the country.

According to the GNFS, incidents of vehicular fires have been on the rise in recent times in the Volta Region, prompting the piloting of the exercise in that region.