Sofoline mechanic yard chairman blames refuse burning for massive fire that destroyed over 100 vehicles

Chairman of the Sofoline Mechanic Yard, Ing. Waco Koffi, has attributed the devastating fire outbreak that swept through the enclave on Sunday evening to the reckless burning of refuse within the workshop area.

Speaking to Adom News, Ing. Koffi disclosed that the inferno started after a worker allegedly set fire to a rubbish dump inside a fitting shop, despite repeated warnings from the Ghana National Fire Service and the National Disaster Management Organisation (NADMO).

“I strongly believe this disaster was caused by our own actions,” he said. “Someone was burning refuse in a fitting shop this evening, and that is exactly where the fire began. We have been warned several times not to do this, but some people refused to listen — and now we are paying the price.”

The fire broke out around 7:00 p.m. at the Sofoline mechanic enclave in the Kwadaso Municipality of the Ashanti Region and rapidly spread through the clustered shops.

More than 100 vehicles were reduced to ashes, along with numerous engines, spare parts, and large quantities of upholstery materials, wiping out years of investment in a matter of hours.

Firefighters arrived promptly and battled the raging flames for nearly four hours before finally bringing the situation under control, preventing the fire from spreading further into nearby residential areas.

Although the official cause of the blaze is still under investigation, eyewitnesses say early efforts were made by mechanics to contain the fire while emergency services were contacted.

“When the fire started, we tried to manage it ourselves as our leaders called the Fire Service,” one witness recounted. “They did an excellent job — without them, the destruction would have been far worse.”

Another eyewitness lamented the scale of losses, noting that both brand-new vehicles and those undergoing repairs were completely destroyed.

“A lot of cars are gone — new ones, customers’ vehicles, and those parked there. Many people have lost everything,” he said.

As affected shop owners begin to assess the heavy financial toll, Ing. Waco Koffi has appealed to the government and relevant authorities for support to help the victims recover from the disaster.