Eighteen (18) container shops have been completely razed by fire at Konongo Main in the Newtown Electoral Area in the early hours of Saturday, March 21, destroying several businesses.

Residents and affected parties expressed concern over the absence of fire tenders at the time of the incident, noting that some shops could have been saved if they had been available.

Sources indicate that fire stations at Konongo, Ejisu, and Subin were not operational, prompting authorities to call the Effiduase Fire Station for assistance. However, the fire tender dispatched from Effiduase reportedly developed a fault while en route to the scene.

Consequently, residents joined firefighters in adopting tactical means under intense conditions to bring the blaze under control.Meanwhile, investigations have been launched by authorities to ascertain the cause of the fire.

The Assembly Member for the Konongo Newtown Electoral Area, Nana Kofi Gyau, speaking to Adom News correspondent Isaac Amoako, confirmed that the fire destroyed 18 metal container shops and injured one resident.

Some victims who spoke to Adom News expressed disappointment over the delayed response, citing the absence of a functioning fire tender during the emergency. Meanwhile, former Assembly Member for the Newtown Electoral Area, Joseph Yanson, also spoke to Adom News on the incident.

Fire cases in the Ashanti Region so far

The Ashanti Region has recorded two-hundred and eight (208) fire outbreaks between January and February this year. This information was disclosed by the Ashanti Regional Commander of the Ghana National Fire Service, ACFO1 Peter Tetteh, at the launch of an inter-market quiz on fire safety in Kumasi on Tuesday, March 3.

ACFO1 Peter Tetteh said the 208 outbreaks recorded in the first two months of 2026 were slightly lower than the 237 incidents reported during the same period in 2025. ACFO1 Peter Tetteh noted that heightened activities during this time of the year make communities particularly vulnerable to fire outbreaks.

“Market fires cause a lot of devastation. The aim is to get traders involved in fire prevention so that they can own the market, understand what causes fires, and prevent them,” ACFO1 Tetteh said. In the early hours of Monday, February 23, the Zabzugu market in the Northern Region was destroyed by a fire incident.

The incident left several traders stranded, as they assess the large quantities of yams and other goods lost in the fire outbreak. Ghana has experienced several market fire incidents in recent years.

Earlier this year, a large fire swept through sections of the Madina Market in Accra, triggering a swift response from the Ghana National Fire Service as efforts continue to contain the blaze.

The GNFS, in a Facebook update, said fire appliances from the Madina and Legon stations were dispatched to the market shortly after the incident was reported. Fire officers are working under difficult conditions to control the flames, with heavy smoke spreading across the busy trading area.

While the exact scale of destruction has not yet been determined, early indications point to damage to a number of stalls and merchandise.

In response, traders and nearby residents have been moved away from the affected areas, as security personnel restrict access to parts of the market to enable firefighters to carry out their operations.

Authorities have not yet established the cause of the fire, noting that investigations will begin after the situation is fully brought under control.

In the same area, an inferno destroyed several makeshift wooden and metal structures used for both commercial and residential purposes at Madina Washing Bay near Redco Flat on Sunday evening, August 3.

The blaze destroyed utility poles, traders’ wares, personal belongings, and an unspecified number of structures worth several thousand cedis, according to the Ghana National Fire Service (GNFS).

In a Facebook post, the Fire Service noted that while battling the inferno, one of its firefighters sustained a minor leg injury.

The Ghana National Fire Service noted that it received the distress call at 12:36 hours and responded swiftly, with the first crew from Madina Fire Station arriving within 4 minutes at 12:40 hours to confront the fully developed fire.

Also, four (4) fire engines from Legon, Abelempke, and GNFS Headquarters joined the operation to contain the blaze. According to the GNFS, thanks to the timely and coordinated efforts, the fire was confined at 13:42 hours and fully brought under control at 13:54 hours.