GNFS Cries Out for Equipment After Kumasi Fire Outbreaks
All Our Fire Tenders Are Aged: GNFS Cries Out for Equipment After Kumasi Blazes
Three separate fires broke out in the city of Kumasi between October 9 and 11, 2026. Now the Ghana National Fire Service is sounding the alarm, and the message is simple: their equipment is falling apart.
Speaking on the Ghanakoma morning show on Akoma 87.9 FM, Ashanti Regional PRO for GNFS, DOIII Arhin Atta Mensah, didn’t hold back.
Our equipment is old. The last time we got any tender was over 16 years ago, he said.
Sixteen years without a single replacement tender. That’s a long time for any fleet to go without renewal, let alone one responding to emergencies daily.
Atta Mensah explained that ageing fire engines keep breaking down mid-operation. That puts both firefighters and the people they’re trying to rescue at greater risk, especially when disasters are large-scale.
Still, he said his team hasn’t backed down from the job. Firefighters keep showing up, even when the tools they’re working with are outdated.
The Ashanti Region currently has 22 fire tenders. Most of them, according to Atta Mensah, aren’t in good shape.
He warned that without urgent action, several vehicles could end up completely grounded.
We are struggling to maintain our ageing fleet. Many of our fire tenders are obsolete, and the parts are no longer available in the country. Without replacements, we risk a potential shutdown of operations in some areas, he said.
The timing of this appeal isn’t random. Kumasi recorded three separate fire outbreaks within days of each other.
A blaze hit Sokoban Ampayoo first. Just hours later, another fire broke out at Kumasi Central Market, raising fresh concerns about safety at West Africa’s largest open-air trading centre.
Then, on October 11, fire gutted multiple stalls at the Tafo Nhyiaeso Moro Market, a major hub for second-hand shoe traders in the Ashanti Region.
Three fires. Three days. One overstretched fire service.
For the traders affected across these markets, the losses are mounting fast. Many are now calling on government and relevant authorities to step in and help them recover.
