A Number of business concerns in the country have suffered various degrees of fire outbreaks in recent times.

These business entities include banks, manufacturing concerns, corporate establishments, warehouses and retail outlets.

Most of the fires have occurred in the commercial centres in Accra, Kumasi and Takoradi, leading to the loss of goods worth millions of Ghana cedis, as well as loss of lives and damage to properties.

Though not all the causes of these fire outbreaks have been established, in some cases it is believed that poor electrical wiring has been the cause.

In an intervierw with the Daily Graphic in Accra last Thursday, the Assistant Public Relations Director of the Ghana National Fire Service (GNFS), Mr Prince-Billy Anaglate, stressed the need for consumers to change their electrical wires after every 20 years.

That, he said, would help reduce fire outbreaks and other consequences that could arise from a weakened wiring system.

Mr Anaglate was speaking  after the launch of a new cloth for the Retired Fire Officers Association (REFOA) in Accra.

The cloth is to be used as the official wear of the retired officers.

 A former Chief Fire Officer of the service, Mr Sam Vallis Akyianu, blamed the recent upsurge in fire outbreaks in markets to the influx of substandard electrical wires into the market.

Mr Akyianu, who is also the High Commissioner to Canada, explained that most importers of electrical wires sometimes manage to get their goods into the country without undergoing the necessary checks at the various entry points.

The acting Fire Officer of the Ghana National Fire Service, Brigadier General John Bosco Guriyi, encouraged the retired officers to unite and work hard to move the association forward.

He noted that plans were underway to raise the image of REFOA, and called on all non-registered members to do so to enable them to enjoy all the benefits of the group.

Brigadier Gen Guriyi added that the service had instituted plans to construct housing units for retired fire officers nationwide.