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The Northern Regional Command of the Ghana National Fire Service (GNFS) recorded more than 67,000 prank emergency calls in 2025, a situation the Service says diverted critical resources and endangered lives and property.
According to the Command, as many as 1,400 prank calls were received within a single week, with over 100 hoax calls recorded on some days during the year.
In a statement signed by the Regional Public Relations Officer, ADOI Hudu Baba, the Command stressed that prank calls to emergency lines undermine the Service’s ability to respond promptly to genuine distress calls.
“This act does not help those who really need the emergency lines,” the statement said, urging the public to desist from abusing the emergency numbers.
Despite the high number of prank calls, the region recorded 377 fire incidents between January 1 and December 31, 2025, representing a marginal increase of four cases compared to 373 fires recorded in 2024.
The estimated cost of damage to properties rose sharply to GHS 159,081,662 in 2025, up from GHS 68,217,224 recorded in the previous year.
The Service, however, noted significant gains in salvaging property, with items worth over GHS 150 billion reportedly saved from fire destruction in 2025, compared to about GHS 1 billion in 2024. On average, one fire incident was recorded each day throughout the year under review.
Tragically, two lives were lost through fire incidents in 2025, although no fatalities were recorded from flooding, depth, bee invasion or height rescue operations.
In terms of road traffic collisions, the region recorded four incidents, resulting in one injury and two deaths, a decrease from 2024 figures which saw five incidents, 20 injuries and four deaths.
The Command also recorded 145 “out before arrival” fire cases in 2025, slightly higher than the 143 cases reported in 2024. January and December recorded the highest number of fires, accounting for over 30 per cent of total incidents. Domestic fires led the statistics, followed by commercial, electrical and bushfires.
A worrying trend identified by the Service was fires involving uncompleted buildings, particularly in new settlements. Seventeen such incidents were recorded in 2025, representing 4.5 per cent of total fires.
Electrical faults, gas leakages, unattended cooking, naked flames, bush burning and deliberate acts were cited as major causes of fires in the region.
The GNFS attributed the slight increase in fire incidents to harsh harmattan conditions and non-adherence to basic fire safety measures, especially in domestic settings.
Nonetheless, the Service said the high number of out before arrival cases reflects improved public awareness and the impact of its sustained fire safety education campaigns.
The Command has therefore appealed to the public to avoid pranking emergency numbers such as 191 and 112, and to adopt safer practices in the use of electricity, gas and naked lights.
It also announced plans to intensify public education through a new campaign dubbed “1 Fire Officer, 1 School,” aimed at further reducing fire incidents in the Northern Region.
Emmanuel Mensah
