The Northern Regional Command of the Ghana National Fire Service (GNFS) has raised alarm over a worrying surge in prank emergency calls, revealing that about 67,200 false alerts were received in 2025.
The figure includes more than 1,400 prank calls in a single week and over 100 in just one day, a trend the Service says is straining emergency response efforts.
The disclosure was contained in the Command’s year-end performance report dated January 13, 2026.
According to the Service, prank calls divert personnel and logistics from genuine emergencies, placing lives and property at unnecessary risk.
Beyond prank calls, the report outlined fire and rescue statistics across the region. Between January 1 and December 31, 2025, a total of 377 fire outbreaks were recorded, slightly higher than the 373 cases reported in 2024.
Property damage from these incidents was estimated at GH¢159 million, more than double the cost recorded the previous year.
Despite the increase in outbreaks, the Service reported a significant rise in property salvage, with items valued at over GH¢150.6 billion saved in 2025. On average, one fire incident was recorded daily.
Two lives were lost through fire incidents, while no fatalities were reported from flooding, drowning, bee invasions or height-related rescues.
Domestic fires accounted for the highest number of cases, followed by commercial and electrical fires. January and December were identified as peak fire months, a situation partly blamed on harmattan conditions and lapses in basic safety practices.
The Command has appealed to the public to stop pranking emergency lines such as 191 and 112 and to observe basic fire safety rules.
