Fire broke out at the Physical Development and Municipal Services Directorate (PDMSD), located behind the Bush Canteen market on the University of Ghana campus, on Wednesday, February 26, at around 9:00 PM. The fire occurred in a workshop area housing refrigerators and air conditioners.
According to Assistant Divisional Officer Alex King Nartey of the Public Relations Office, Ghana National Fire Service, their attention was quickly drawn to the fire, and they arrived at the scene within a minute due to the proximity of the fire service department to the location of the outbreak.
He added that the workshop was situated in a densely populated area with several offices and vehicles nearby. Fortunately, the fire service’s swift response prevented what could have been a massive disaster.
Despite facing challenges with electricity disruptions and exploding gas from deep freezers and air conditioners, the fire service managed to bring the blaze under control within an hour.
However, the fire damaged several refrigerators and air conditioners and affected a small portion of some offices belonging to the University of Ghana Fire Service Department, which is located near the workshop.
“The only struggle was with electricity, so we had the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) cut the power supply. Additionally, the gas in the deep freezers and air conditioners kept exploding, which posed a challenge. However, we ensured that the fire was completely extinguished within an hour.”
The fire service has launched an investigation into the cause of the fire, although preliminary reports suggest it originated from the workshop area.
“We are still investigating to determine the exact cause. However, for now, I can confirm that the fire started from the workshop area.”
He further mentioned that the fire service team that responded to the incident included personnel from the Abelenkpe, Madina, and University of Ghana Fire Service stations, as well as the National Headquarters.
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Story by: Hussein Habibata Maltiti | univers.ug.edu.gh
