Adum market fire contained after nearly six hours of intense battle

Firefighters have finally brought the devastating blaze that tore through parts of Kumasi’s central business district under control after nearly six hours of relentless efforts.

The Ghana National Fire Service (GNFS) confirmed in a statement that overhaul operations are now in progress to eliminate any lingering flames and prevent a reignition.

The inferno, which erupted at the Blue Light Arena near Hello FM, engulfed multiple two-story buildings, destroying several shops and leaving traders in distress.

At the scene, Ashanti Regional Fire Commander, ACFO II Peter Tetteh, outlined the challenges firefighters faced, stressing that congestion in the market severely hampered their response.

“Our men got here early, but the unavailability of space caused a delay, making it difficult to contain the fire. The congestion in the market, with shops closely packed together, created major accessibility challenges for our personnel,” he explained.

He further highlighted the complexity of the fire due to the varied nature of goods stored in the affected shops.

“The fire is very complex. Some shops contain different types of goods, which makes the situation even harder to handle. We have managed to extinguish the fire in the front buildings, and that section is now under control.”

Despite progress, firefighters were still struggling to completely suppress the flames in certain areas.

“However, we are still battling the flames at the back, where accessibility remains a problem. Our fire tenders are positioned behind the buildings, but limited space restricts our operations. Though we have ladders to fight the fire from the roof, accessing the right points has been difficult,” he added.

Emergency responders remain on high alert as investigations continue into the cause of the fire and the extent of damage caused.