Fire destroys over 500 wooden structures in Tema Industrial Area
A catastrophic blaze erupted late Wednesday night behind Ferro Fabrik Ltd in the Tema Heavy Industrial Area, destroying more than 500 wooden structures used as homes and makeshift businesses.
Damian Owusu 
A catastrophic blaze erupted late Wednesday night behind Ferro Fabrik Ltd in the Tema Heavy Industrial Area, destroying more than 500 wooden structures used as homes and makeshift businesses.
The fire broke out around 11:52 p.m. on June 18, prompting an urgent response from the Ghana National Fire Service (GNFS). Within six minutes of the distress call, the first crew from the Tema Metro station, led by ADO I Orlando Adablanu, arrived at the scene. Firefighters battled the flames for nearly six hours, finally bringing the situation under control by 5:43 a.m. the next day.
A total of seven fire engines were deployed from stations across the municipality—including Motorway, Ashaiman, Newtown, Devtraco, and BOST—reflecting the scale and urgency of the response. Their swift coordination prevented the fire from spreading to adjacent factories and industrial facilities, including Ferro Fabrik Ltd.
Fortunately, no casualties were reported, but the destruction has displaced hundreds of residents. Many of them lived in wooden structures erected informally on the fringes of the industrial enclave. One affected resident, Ben Adjei, told authorities he lost all his possessions while on a night shift.
The operation was supervised by Tema Regional Fire Commander ACFO II Patrick Sallah, alongside other senior GNFS officers and sister agencies. A forensic investigation is currently underway to determine the cause of the fire—whether accidental or linked to substandard housing conditions common in informal urban settlements.
The incident raises urgent questions about urban planning, fire safety enforcement, and the vulnerability of makeshift residential clusters in high-risk zones. Authorities are calling for a coordinated response to provide temporary shelter and long-term relief for the displaced.
