Fire guts Zeko Genius spare parts depot in Techiman; firefighter hospitalised after smoke inhalation

A devastating fire has destroyed a motor and spare parts company, Zeko Genius, in the Techiman Municipality of the Bono East Region, with losses estimated to run into thousands of Ghana cedis.

The blaze, which broke out late Thursday night, also threatened the adjacent Zen filling station and occurred near Gaskiya FM, sending panic through the bustling commercial area.

One firefighter, Leading Fireman Issaku Sumaila, was rushed to the Holy Family Hospital after inhaling smoke while battling the inferno. His condition is currently being monitored by medical staff.

According to eyewitnesses, the fire began at the blind side of the building, catching occupants unaware. One witness told Joy News he had to sound an alarm to alert those inside the building before the situation worsened.

Workers and passers-by initially attempted to battle the flames themselves before calling the Ghana National Fire Service — a decision officials say proved costly.

Regional Fire Commander ACFO 1 Rev. Naomi Ofori-Adubea Sarpong (Mrs.), who led the team of firefighters, provided a detailed timeline of the response:

“The Control Room received the call at 21:29 hours; we mobilized at 21:30 hours and arrived at the scene in 3 minutes. But because it had escalated, it took us until 01:15 hours to fully extinguish it.”

At the height of the inferno, about three fire tenders were deployed to combat the blaze, which raged for nearly four hours before being brought under control.

Despite the intensity of the fire, firefighters managed to prevent it from spreading to the nearby Zen filling station, a development that could have resulted in an even greater catastrophe.

“Don’t Wait to Call Us” — Fire Commander Warns

The Regional Fire Commander used the opportunity to issue a strong caution to the public about delaying calls to the Fire Service.

“The public should not wait before calling the Fire Service. When a fire occurs, call us immediately — do not try to fight it yourselves first and call us only when it gets out of hand. Fire will not wait for you.”

“My advice to the public is that we should not pray for fire outbreaks to occur, but should it occur, they should quickly call the Fire Service rather than trying to extinguish it by themselves and only calling the Fire Service when it gets out of hand,” she added.

According to workers and passers-by, they were doing their best to fight the fire before contacting the Fire Service — but as the Commander noted, “fire will not wait for you during those few minutes you delay in contacting the Fire Service.”

The Ghana National Fire Service has commenced investigations into the cause of the fire.

Meanwhile, the incident serves as a stark reminder of the importance of early emergency reporting, particularly in commercial areas where fires can spread rapidly and endanger lives and livelihoods.