A fire has destroyed 12 acres of a 25-acre mango farm in Okwenya, a suburb of Somanya in the Yilo Krobo Municipality, causing losses exceeding GH¢100,000.
According to Mr. Abubakari Musah of the Somanya Fire Service, they received a distress call at 11:20 AM last week from the farm owner, reporting the fire. Firefighters responded swiftly, bringing the blaze under control and preventing further destruction.
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Investigations revealed that the fire was accidentally started by the farmer, who burned a snake near a mixture of pig waste and sawdust, unaware that the fire could smoulder and spread to nearby dry vegetation. Due to the harmattan season, the flames quickly spread, engulfing a significant portion of the farm.
Fortunately, the fire did not affect a piggery also located on the farm, and firefighters managed to save the remaining 13 acres.
Mr Musah urged farmers to exercise caution when handling fire, especially in dry weather and advised them to create fire belts around their farms to prevent similar incidents.
