The Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) has stepped up bushfire prevention education across the Volta and Oti Regions, launching a coordinated campaign to safeguard critical power infrastructure and ensure uninterrupted electricity supply during the peak Harmattan season.

The intensified outreach, carried out in partnership with the National Commission for Civic Education (NCCE), focuses on communities identified as highly vulnerable to bushfires.

The initiative aims to deepen public awareness of the causes and dangers of bushfires, while highlighting their destructive impact on electricity poles, cables, transformers and overall service delivery.

As part of the intervention, ECG technical teams and community members undertook hands-on preventive work by clearing thick vegetation around electricity poles and installations to create protective fire belts.

These fire belts, which are bare strips of land measuring between two and five metres around poles, are designed to stop or slow the spread of fires before they can damage vital power infrastructure.

During an engagement in the Nkwanta District, the District Engineer, Mr Bernard Addo, praised residents of Odomi, Odomi Camp, Keri, Kai Camp, Abrewankor, Kromoase and Shari for their strong participation and cooperation in clearing bushes around ECG installations.

He stressed that sustained community involvement remains one of the most effective defences against bushfire-related power disruptions.

In Dambai, the District Manager, Madam Mary Odame, commended the District Union for successfully mobilising its staff to support both the education drive and the creation of fire belts.

She also acknowledged the critical role played by the NCCE, traditional authorities and Assembly Members in rallying community support and promoting preventive action.

The Regional General Manager, Ms Christina Jatoe-Kaleo, underscored the urgency of the campaign, noting that most bushfires are human-induced, often resulting from indiscriminate burning, uncontrolled farming practices and the careless handling of naked flames.

She explained that proactive education and prevention efforts significantly reduce the risk of outages, protect lives and property, and preserve costly national power assets.

ECG and NCCE officials jointly called on residents to adopt responsible environmental practices, avoid indiscriminate burning and routinely clear vegetation near electricity installations.

They described the ongoing collaboration as a vital step towards protecting national infrastructure and maintaining a stable power supply throughout the dry season.