Fire Destroys Shops at Circle, Firefighters Battle To Contain Flames: “Have Mercy on Us”

• A massive fire engulfed shops at Kwame Nkrumah Circle, causing significant destruction
• Traders panicked as flames spread rapidly, fueled by combustible materials
• Ghana National Fire Service responded promptly to prevent further disaster

Fire gutted several shops at the Kwame Nkrumah Circle on the night of Friday, January 2, 2026, destroying items meant for sale and leaving the traders worried.

The fire is reported to have started in the early hours of Friday evening. There were thick plumes of black smoke in the atmosphere, visible from several kilometres away.

Officers from the Ghana National Fire Service (GNFS) arrived at the fire scene to douse the flames. They arrived with four fire engines and were stationed at strategic points to prevent the fire from spreading to nearby high-rise buildings and residential structures.

Several people present at the scene, mostly traders, were panicking and attempting to salvage some of their wares.

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The affected area, known for its dense concentration of electronic shops, clothing boutiques, and street vendors, was cordoned off to allow firefighting tenders easy access.

According to an eyewitness, they only saw smoke coming from one shop, and the next thing they saw was fire ravaging the shops. She added that the highly combustible materials in many shops made the fire spread faster.

"We just saw smoke coming from one of the containers, and within minutes, the whole line was on fire," one distraught trader told Accra-based Joy News.

"The wind made it worse, and before we knew it, the fire had jumped to the next building."

Even though the specific cause of the fire is yet to be determined, fire officers have urged the public to stay away from the area to avoid casualties from collapsing structures or smoke inhalation.

Watch the X video below:

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Reactions to Circle fire

YEN.com.gh collated some reactions to the video shared by @eddie_wrt on X. Read them below:

@0panaa_1 said:

"Charley every new year Ei."

@GabbySirh wrote:

"I think we need more fire fighters and more cars for fighting fire than anything else 🤔."

@ft_analytics91 said:

"Circle again! Every January 🤦🏾‍♂️."

@KSnetne wrote:

"You see how them build the shops for there? Fire hazard buildings oo. Who dey give dem building permit sef?"

@oparah__ said:

"I saw a tiktok where someone said “doing my shopping before the yearly fire happens.”

@richie2daworld wrote:

"E be loans this traders dey try skip or e be what dey happen? Eiiii! Every new year biaa. By Sunday another market might go down again 😂😂."

@LexaMensa said:

"How our markets are constructed is a problem. This is a perennial problem. Why?"

@Dao_005 wrote:

"The way these things happen Yearly, it seems some people allegedly want to claim insurance if they make losses from sales."

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@XActivistJerry said:

"Oh no so sorry to hear about this! Fire has destroyed shops at Circle in Accra. Firefighters from the Ghana National Fire Service are on the scene trying to control the blaze."

@Phred_jr wrote:

"The Ghana National Fire Service really works lately."

@GhanaSocialUni said:

"At this point if you have a shop at circle put insurance on it!"

@Cheddahjaymusic wrote:

"Chaley 2026 I beg have mercy on us."

Source: YEN.com.gh