Assessing traders’ risk or loss in fire outbreak in the Kumasi Central Market of Ghana

Fire outbreak is particularly rampant in the Kumasi Central Market. Data gathered from Ghana National Fire Service (2016) indicate that, since 1992, there have been multiple occurrences of fire outbreaks each year in the Market. Efforts put in place to curb the menace have proven less successful. There is growing knowledge that the persistence of these fire disasters is as a result of people’s noncompliance with fire safety regulations. The thrust of this study is to assess traders’ risk or loss in fire outbreak, with emphasis on traders’ knowledge on what they need to do against fire risk and disasters. The study directly interviewed 140 traders and three institutions (National Disaster Management Organisation, Kumasi Metropolitan Assembly and Ghana National Fire Service). The selection was done using systematic sampling technique to select 140 respondents with the help of the Slovin’s sampling size technique. The study findings showed that traders in the Kumasi Central Market were unaware of what they needed to do in case of fire outbreak. Traders’ risk/losses as a result of fire outbreak areon the increase. The architectural nature of the market also makes the market prone to fire outbreak. It also emerged that the haphazard development within the city center serves as a major hindrance toeffective fire prevention and control. Based on the above challenges, the study recommends intensive education of traders on how to prevent fire and how to use firefighting tools in case of fire disasters. The study further recommends the need for re-structuring in terms of the buildings and wiring in the market.