An unattended rubbish fire ignited by a man has been identified as the cause of a massive blaze that consumed parts of the Accra Timber Market in the early hours of Saturday, September 13, 2025.

A suspect has been arrested in connection with the incident, which required the intervention of a significant number of fire engines and left two firefighters injured.

The Greater Accra Regional Commander of the Ghana National Fire Service (GNFS), ACFO II Rashid Kwame Nisawu, confirmed the arrest and the preliminary cause of the fire on Channel One Newsroom.

He disclosed that plainclothed officers, deployed during the firefighting operation, gathered intelligence that led to the identification of the suspect.

“Indeed, through the firefighting, what normally we do is that during the firefighting we also deploy some plainclothed officers to fish out for information. And what we gathered was that, there is this gentleman who gathers some rubbish around and set it on fire, went to sleep and this thing degenerated and that is the result we are having,” ACFO II Nisawu explained.

He added that a team of police officers acted swiftly on the intelligence.

“The good thing is that this morning, the Police Commander came to report to the Chief Fire Officer — I was around — that they have been able to apprehend the gentleman and currently, as we speak, the alleged suspect is now in police custody at James Town Police Station,” the Commander confirmed.

The fire, which reportedly started near the Aayalolo School at 1:17 a.m., quickly spread, destroying numerous shops that sold wooden planks and various hardware.

To combat the inferno, seven fire engines were dispatched from various fire stations across Accra.

They were supported by one GNFS water tanker and two additional tankers from the Accra Metropolitan Assembly and the Ablekuma Municipal Assembly.

The firefighting operation was a protracted effort that lasted several hours.

The flames were successfully contained by 6:26 a.m. and brought under control by 6:37 a.m.

However, the fire was not fully extinguished until 11:44 a.m.

The operation was not without its risks; two firefighters sustained injuries, with one suffering an electric shock and another sustaining burns on the arm.

Both have since been treated and discharged from the hospital.

Despite the extensive damage to the market, ACFO II Nisawu praised his team's efforts, noting that they successfully protected nearby structures, including the Ayalolo cluster of schools, from the blaze.

The incident underscores the critical importance of public vigilance and responsible waste management to prevent such disasters.