The Ashanti Regional office of the National Disaster Management Organisation (NADMO) is calling on traders across the region to stop cooking inside markets, warning that the practice remains one of the leading causes of market fires.
Regional NADMO Director Alhaji Ibrahim Nasirudeen raised the alarm during a market safety engagement, explaining that many fire incidents are triggered by naked flames, leaking gas cylinders, and improper handling of heat sources within trading spaces. He revealed that NADMO’s recent inspections found widespread cooking in stalls, with traders using coal pots and gas cylinders next to flammable items. According to him, this situation poses a major risk.
“A significant number of fire cases come from cooking inside markets. Whether it is naked fire or gas, the danger is the same and the impact is always devastating,” he cautioned.
Alhaji Nasirudeen stressed that traders who refuse to comply with safety directives will face sanctions, including possible criminal prosecution. NADMO, he said, cannot allow preventable fires to continue destroying livelihoods and endangering lives.
He further revealed that NADMO will soon roll out Operation Stop Fire Disasters, a targeted initiative aimed at eliminating market fires across the Ashanti Region. The operation follows months of assessments done in over 30 markets, where officials discovered poor wiring, lack of fire safety equipment, and dangerous cooking practices. NADMO’s inspection teams also found several gas cylinders hidden in stalls, a situation he described as “extremely alarming.”
Under the new operation, NADMO will work closely with the Assemblies, Ghana National Fire Service, and other regulatory agencies to enforce market bylaws, confiscate gas cylinders and coal pots used illegally, and intensify public education.
Alhaji Nasirudeen urged traders, market queens, and community leaders to support the campaign. He emphasised that preventing fires is far better than responding to them, especially at a time when resources for relief support remain limited.
