The Minister of the Interior, Muntaka Mubarak, has urged traditional authorities across Ghana to introduce and rigorously enforce anti-bushfire bye laws within their respective jurisdictions as the country prepares for the 2026/2027 bushfire season. This call was made during the national launch of the 2026/2027 National Bushfire Prevention Campaign at Atebubu in the Bono East Region. The campaign's theme, “Bushfire Prevention: A Collective Action for Sustainable Environmental Development and a Greener Ghana,” emphasizes the need for a shared national responsibility in preventing bushfires.
The Interior Minister's address, delivered on his behalf by the Bono East Regional Minister, Francis Owusu Antwi, stressed that the prevention of bushfires must be regarded as a shared national responsibility rather than an obligation resting solely on the Ghana National Fire Service. Mr. Mubarak also called on Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies to reinforce their anti-bushfire committees and strengthen community fire volunteer groups to improve preparedness and facilitate faster responses when outbreaks occur.
The Ghana National Fire Service had previously announced that the campaign would focus on coordinated prevention measures across all 16 regions. The Chief Fire Officer of the Ghana National Fire Service, Daniella Mawusi Ntow Sarpong, who formally launched the campaign, similarly advocated a coordinated national approach to bushfire prevention. She indicated that the Fire Service required the assistance of security agencies, traditional authorities, media organisations and communities to effectively contain bushfire outbreaks across the country.
According to figures cited by the Chief Fire Officer, Ghana recorded a substantial reduction in reported fire outbreaks during the first eight months of 2026 compared with the corresponding period in 2025. The number declined from 631 outbreaks between January and August 2025 to 235 during the same period in 2026. Despite this reduction, she called for sustained preventive action to further reduce the incidence of bushfires, particularly as the approaching dry season could increase the risk of outbreaks.
The campaign comes amid renewed efforts by the GNFS to move beyond public sensitisation towards more structured community-based prevention mechanisms. These include the creation of fire belts and firebreaks around vulnerable farms and forest areas, safer land preparation techniques that do not depend on indiscriminate burning, stronger enforcement of local anti-bushfire regulations and improved community reporting systems.
Nana Owusu Sakyi III, Paramount Chief of the Bassa Traditional Area and President of the Bono East Regional House of Chiefs, also appealed to the public to cooperate with the Ghana National Fire Service in preventing bushfires. He particularly urged farmers and agribusiness operators to adopt responsible practices that would minimise the possibility of fires spreading through farmlands and surrounding vegetation.
The wider campaign is expected to extend across all 16 regions through community gatherings, school education programmes, radio sensitisation, fire belt creation and rapid response patrols. Community fire volunteers are also expected to receive greater support and resources to enable them to serve as first responders in fire-prone communities. The decision to stage the national campaign launch in Atebubu reflects the area’s agricultural significance and its position within Ghana’s transitional agro-ecological zone.
Key points
- The Ghana National Fire Service recorded a 63% decrease in reported fire outbreaks during the first eight months of 2026 compared to the same period in 2025.
- The 2026/2027 bushfire season is expected to peak between November and March.
- The campaign will focus on coordinated prevention measures across all 16 regions of Ghana.
