A fire outbreak involving a cargo truck caused panic at Konongo Ahyiam in the Ashanti Region after flames engulfed part of the vehicle directly in front of a fuel station.

In a post shared on Facebook by the Ghana National Fire Service (GNFS) on Friday, May 22, it said the incident occurred on May 18 when personnel from the Konongo-Odumasi Fire Command were called to respond to a vehicular fire near the Total Fuel Station at Konongo Ahyiam.

According to the Ghana National Fire Service, the fire involved a Benz Atego truck with registration number GT-6694-18, which was transporting fresh plantain and pears from Kumasi to Accra.

The truck, driven by Mr John Nketia, reportedly developed a fire after stopping directly in front of the fuel station, creating a dangerous situation due to the presence of highly flammable fuel products nearby.

Eyewitnesses said thick smoke and flames were seen emerging from the engine section of the vehicle, causing alarm among residents, traders and motorists in the busy commercial area.

Some bystanders reportedly moved away from the scene over fears that the fire could spread to the fuel station and trigger a larger disaster.

Firefighters from the Konongo-Odumasi Fire Command responded to the emergency, working quickly to contain the blaze before it escalated.

The fire severely affected the engine compartment of the truck, which sustained partial burn damage.

However, firefighters successfully prevented the flames from spreading to the vehicle’s storage section and cargo area.

The truck’s load of fresh plantain and pears was salvaged, sparing the owners from significant financial losses.

The firefighting operation was led by Sub-Officer Baah Solomon and his team, who deployed a combination of dry chemical powder and carbon dioxide extinguishers to suppress the blaze.

According to the Fire Service, the crew used three 9kg dry chemical powder extinguishers, three 4kg dry chemical powder extinguishers, one 6kg dry chemical powder extinguisher and two 5kg carbon dioxide (CO2) extinguishers to extinguish the fire completely.

No injuries or fatalities were reported.