The Ashanti Regional Fire Commander, ACFO II Peter Tetteh, has attributed the rapid spread of the recent fire at the Adum Market in Kumasi to congestion within the market.

Speaking to the media at the scene, he explained that closely packed shops created accessibility challenges for firefighters, significantly delaying their response.

“Our men got here early, but the unavailability of space caused a delay, making it difficult to contain the fire. The congestion in the market, with shops closely packed together, created major accessibility challenges for our personnel,” he stated.

According to the Fire Commander, the complexity of the fire was exacerbated by the variety of goods stored in the affected shops. Some items fueled the flames, making the situation harder to control.

“The fire is very complex. Some shops contain different types of goods, which makes the situation even harder to handle.

We have managed to extinguish the fire in the front buildings, and that section is now under control,” he explained.

Despite progress in certain areas, ACFO II Peter Tetteh noted that firefighters were still struggling to contain the flames at the back of the market, where space constraints continued to hinder their efforts.

“However, we are still battling the flames at the back, where accessibility remains a problem.

Our fire tenders are positioned behind the buildings, but limited space restricts our operations. Though we have ladders to fight the fire from the roof, accessing the right points has been difficult,” he added.

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