Harmattan fires have ravaged portions of the vegetation cover on the medians and the greenbelt on the Suhum-Nsawam section of the Accra-Kumasi Highway.
But, beyond the disappearance of the vegetation, there is the danger of the fires spilling over to nearby communities and the threat to motorists whose vehicles could catch fire.
Consequently, the Eastern Regional office of the Ghana National Fire Service (GNFS) has asked motorists on the Accra-Kumasi Highway to exercise caution when approaching crown fires to avoid any disaster. It has also asked communities along the highway to promptly inform the Service of any fire outbreaks.
In an interview with the Daily Graphic, the Public Relations Officer of the GNFS, ADO1 Samuel Mantey, said motorists should expect more crown fires this month as some of the factors that precipitated such fires were beyond anybody's control.
"We advise motorists to park far from such fires, but they must exercise a lot of caution if they have to move on," he said.
“At 32 degrees Celsius and given the extreme dryness, we cannot afford to be lighting fires indiscriminately,” he added.
Causes of crown fires
Crown fires, according to ADO1 Mantey, were usually caused by cigarette smokers, birds (they pick food that may have specks of fire on them which can drop into a dry bush and cause a crown fire), while others were deliberately lit.
He cautioned motorists and residents against the indiscriminate lighting of fires to avoid the destruction of lives and properties which came along with fire outbreaks.
He advised motorists not to throw lit cigarette butts into the bush.
Threat to nearby communities
ADO1 Mantey said crown fires were, particularly, dangerous to nearby communities, as the fires could travel very far.
"Communities live with combustible materials and they, therefore, stand a high risk when such fires occur," he stated.
He said his outfit was prepared to contain any fire outbreak that might occur during this harmattan season and advised residents to promptly inform the service when fires occurred.
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