About 18 rooms at the Maaha Beach Resort, in Ellembelle District, Western Region, were razed following a fire outbreak on Wednesday, May 28.

This was revealed by the Ellembelle District Fire Commander, DO2 Mark Hamilton, while speaking to the media on Thursday, May 29.

According to him, there have been no reports of fatalities or injuries from the incident.

“For Maaha Beach, 18 rooms were affected. For Vision Resort, 15 rooms were affected. There were no casualties. As we speak, the situation is under control. The rooms that were affected had no occupants. Maaha is operational,” he stated.

The severe fire outbreak swept through the popular resort's accommodation units near its main pool area.

The fire started in a neighboring resort and extended to Maaha Beach.

Speaking to the media, an eyewitness alleged that the fire couldn't be immediately doused because the nearest fire tender from the Atuabo Gas Processing Plant wasn't equipped to contain the blaze.

She noted that in response, they had to depend on fire tenders from Axim and its surrounding areas, destroying more structures.

“The fire didn’t start from our end but from Vision Beach. It started from the kitchen through its front desk before it spread to our place [Maaha]. The Ghana Gas fire tender was even passing when the fire started, but they said they couldn’t help because of the chemicals they use.

“So we called the personal assistant of the MP to call Axim and other tenders to come and help,” she said.

But the Fire Commander has refuted these claims, insisting, "We arrived at the scene by 08:04 hours. There was no issue with the fire tender from Ghana Gas — in fact, that was the first one dispatched, and it arrived in under four minutes.

“We later called for a second pump from another station to assist, so we had two pumps on site."

Ghana has experienced multiple fire outbreaks within the first few months of the year, raising concerns among citizens as homes, businesses, and markets suffer extensive damage.

Many have demanded an investigation, suspecting that some of these incidents may be deliberate acts by unidentified individuals.

While the GNFS probes these occurrences, it has emphasized the need for heightened fire safety awareness, routine inspections, and strict enforcement of safety regulations to prevent further disasters.

Meanwhile, the service has on several occasions contributed to response delays due to outdated equipment.

The GNFS has called for an increase in fire stations nationwide as well as a supply of modern equipment.