Fire guts 33 rooms at two beach resorts in Ellembelle District
A fire late last night gutted the iconic Maaha Beach Resort in the Ellembelle District of the Western Region, destroying 18 luxury rooms after flames from a nearby resort spread to the premises.
The nearby facility, known as Vision Beach Resort, where the fire is believed to have started, had all 15 of its rooms and their contents completely destroyed before it spread to Maaha.
Due to moderately strong evening winds along the coast, the fire spread rapidly before the arrival of firefighters from the Ghana National Fire Service stationed at the Ghana National Gas Company (Ghana Gas) gas processing plant in Atuabo.
According to fire officers, the wind posed a serious challenge. However, given the proximity of the blaze to sensitive gas infrastructure, the firefighters acted swiftly to prevent the fire from spreading beyond the resorts.
At Maaha Resort, eight of the 18 affected rooms—constructed primarily of wood and thatch—were completely razed. The remaining ten, which incorporated some concrete, suffered extensive interior damage, with furniture, air conditioners, beds, televisions, sound systems and other fittings entirely destroyed, although the structures remained partially intact.
At Vision Beach Resort, all 15 thatched-roof rooms were lost in the blaze along with the kitchen, reception, and a staff changing room, which has been identified as the suspected origin of the fire. Preliminary investigations suggest the fire may have begun in the workers’ area, although the exact cause has yet to be officially confirmed.
The District Fire Commander DO2 Mark Hamilton confirmed the incident, stating that the fire service received a distress call at around 7:59 p.m. on Wednesday evening. “When we got to the scene, we realised that both beach facilities were engulfed in flames. The fire started at Vision Beach Resort, which shares a boundary wall with Maaha Beach Resort,” he explained.
He further noted, “Due to the thatched roofs, embers from Vision Beach Resort were carried by the wind to Maaha Beach Resort, sparking further fires that destroyed 18 rooms and other auxiliary facilities.”
DO2 Hamilton clarified that the fire service had not received a call from Vision Beach Resort itself. “No one called us from there, but we received a call from a worker at Quantum Terminals and we responded immediately,” he said.
Some local residents have described the fire as a wake-up call for the area, which falls within a sensitive gas processing enclave stretching from Sanzule to Half Assini. Many initially mistook the flames for a routine bonfire often lit at beach resorts for guests, until the fire rapidly grew out of control.
Others noted that had the fire occurred later at night when guests were asleep, or during working hours when gas loading gantries are active, the incident could have led to far more severe consequences.
The Ghana National Fire Service has since assured residents and commercial operators in the area of its preparedness and urged heightened vigilance to prevent future incidents.
