Fire
has
swept
through
Tuobodom,
a
squatter
community
in
Tema
Community
12.
The
incident
occurred
on
Wednesday,
18
September
2024,
reducing
approximately
500
structures
to
ashes
and
displacing
hundreds
of
residents.
The
fire,
which
started
as
smoke,
quickly
escalated
into
a
large-scale
inferno,
causing
widespread
destruction.
The
Ghana
National
Fire
Service
(GNFS),
supported
by
the
police,
Ambulance
Service,
and
the
Electricity
Company
of
Ghana
(ECG),
battled
the
flames
for
more
than
three
hours.
Their
swift
response
prevented
the
fire
from
spreading
further,
despite
the
strong
winds
that
fuelled
the
blaze.
A
team
of
nine
fire
appliances
and
nearly
80
personnel,
including
officers
from
the
national
level,
were
deployed
to
control
the
situation.
Fortunately,
no
casualties
were
reported,
but
many
residents
lost
their
homes
and
belongings
in
the
fire.
In
a
nearby
garage,
personnel
managed
to
save
around
60
cars
in
immediate
danger.
The
GNFS
had
previously
conducted
fire
prevention
awareness
sessions
in
the
community,
stressing
the
dangers
of
improper
waste
burning
and
the
mishandling
of
flammable
materials
such
as
LPG.
An
investigation
is
currently
underway
to
determine
the
exact
cause
of
the
fire.