Fire is not candle to be blown off easily– GNFS rubbishes Coconut Grove fire criticisms

The Ghana National Fire Service (GNFS) says it protected the Coconut Grove Regency Hotel after fire gutted some commercial properties within the facility on Saturday.

The GNFS has dismissed claims that it was sluggish in handling the fire outbreak that gutted some commercial properties at the Coconut Grove Regency Hotel in Accra.

GNFS PRO, Prince Billy Anaglatey told Joy News Monday the strategies they adopted in handling the inferno helped it to save the adjoining buildings.

“What we did was to position five tenders permanently on the ground and to ensure that there is no spread of fire to the other adjoining facilities,” he said, adding firefighters did not run out of water.

The GNFS has come under severe criticism after fire destroyed some commercial properties belonging to Progressive People’s Party (PPP) 2016 Presidential Candidate, Dr Papa Kwesi Nduom.

The fire is reported to have started at 5:00 p.m. and raged for several hours while fire tenders were on the scene.

Officials of Groupe Nduom have estimated the loss at $1 billion, but Coconut Grove Hotel was not affected by the inferno.

Sections of Ghanaians accused the GNFS of running out of water which resulted in its inability to douse the fire on time.

A management of Groupe Nduom also criticized the firefighters for their lethargic attitude in handling the fire.

On Joy FM’s Super Morning Show, Kofi Asamoah Siaw, minced no words in criticising personnel of the Fire Service.

Management of Groupe Nduom, Kofi Asamoah Siaw
He said the firefighters stood by the street in front of the hotel while they tried to extinguish the fire.

But the firefighters in their reaction said fighting fire is not as simple as handling a candle fire that could be blown off without much difficult.

Mr Anaglatey said it is not the massive application of water to inferno that extinguishes it. "If we are not careful the water damage will be more than the destruction from the fire."

He said the extent of damage caused the commercial properties could have been more if firefighters had not followed through with the strategies adopted.

“The public is looking at the destruction forgetting that the hotel facility had been protected,” he said.

Story by Ghana | Myjoyonline.com | Austin Brako-Powers | [email protected]