Firefighters were unable to access portions of the Adum Market which caught fire in the early hours of Friday, March 21, 2025, due to congestion at the place, Ashanti Regional Fire Commander ACFO II Peter Tetteh, has stated.
He says the inaccessibility to the scene caused the fire to spread to certain portions of the market ravaging several shops to ashes.
In his address to the media, he disclosed that his men arrived on time to salvage the situation but their efforts were hindered by the lack of access to the burning shops due to how congested the enclave is.
“Our men got here early, but the unavailability of space caused a delay, making it difficult to contain the fire. The congestion in the market, with shops closely packed together, created major accessibility challenges for our personnel,” he explained.
Several shops in the Central Business District of Kumasi have been burnt down in a Friday dawn inferno at Adum. The fire, which started early Friday, March 21, spread rapidly due to highly combustible materials, making it difficult for firefighters to contain.
ACFO II Tetteh explained that the fire which started at the back of the market spread its way to the shops at the front end, describing it as “complex”.
He explained that his men have been able to control the spread at the front end of the market, the situation at the back is difficult due to the congestion in the area.
“The fire is very complex. Some shops contain different types of goods, which makes the situation even harder to handle. We have managed to extinguish the fire in the front buildings, and that section is now under control.
“However, we are still battling the flames at the back, where accessibility remains a problem. Our fire tenders are positioned behind the buildings, but limited space restricts our operations. Though we have ladders to fight the fire from the roof, accessing the right points has been difficult,” he added.
He assured, amid the challenges, that his men were doing their best to bring the fire under control.
Despite these challenges, he assured the public that his team was working tirelessly to bring the fire under control.
Adum: Congestion in market contributed to fire spread – Ashanti Regional Fire Commander
