The Ghana National Fire Service (GNFS) has denied claims that its firefighters used sachets of water to fight the Manhyia South fire in Kumasi.
The denial follows videos and reports circulating on social media suggesting that firefighters arrived at the scene on Thursday, August 20, 2026, without enough water to extinguish the blaze.
Speaking on the Ghanakoma morning show on Akoma 87.9 FM in Kumasi on Friday, August 21, Head of the Ashanti Regional Public Relations Department of the GNFS, DO3 Atta Arhin Mensah, described the claims as false.
He explained that fire tenders are fully loaded with water before they are deployed to respond to emergencies.
“Allegations that we use sachets of water to extinguish a fire outbreak at Manhyia South are untrue,” he said.
The Manhyia South fire broke out on Thursday afternoon at a three-storey building in Kumasi, destroying 11 of its 44 rooms and leaving affected residents to count their losses.
P arrived at the scene and managed to bring the blaze under control at about 1:49 p.m., preventing it from spreading to other parts of the building.
According to DO3 Mensah, the individuals seen using sachets of water at the scene were not members of the GNFS firefighting team.
He explained that prison officers from the Manhyia Prison Service had arrived to assist with the emergency and were the ones seen throwing sachets of water onto the fire.
He therefore urged the media and the public to verify information before sharing or publishing reports, particularly during emergencies.
“This video, unfortunately, has been misconstrued and falsely interpreted as if our men used sachets of water to extinguish the said fire despite the presence of the two fire tenders with enough water at the fire scene,” he said.
“We categorically state that this claim is untrue, false and malicious in nature, just to tarnish the hard-won reputation of the service,” he added.
The GNFS official insisted that the Service would never deploy a fire tender to an emergency without water.
He also rejected suggestions that the Service sometimes responds to distress calls without adequate preparation or the necessary firefighting resources.
DO3 Mensah acknowledged that fire victims sometimes criticise firefighters when they struggle to contain an inferno, particularly when they believe a fire truck arrived without sufficient water or equipment.
However, he maintained that the GNFS remains committed to responding to emergencies with the necessary resources and personnel.
The GNFS has therefore dismissed the claims surrounding the Manhyia South fire, insisting that its firefighters had adequate water at the scene and successfully brought the blaze under control.