Fire Guts Another Northern Region School, Pong Tamale SHS the Latest Victim
- Pong Tamale Senior High School experienced a fire outbreak in its girls’ dormitory, raising fire safety concerns
- Firefighters swiftly contained the blaze, preventing further damage to other dormitories and facilities at the school
- A fire safety expert, Alex King Nartey, noted some possible causes of the fire in comments to YEN.com.gh
Ghana’s top stories, now easier to find. Discover our new search feature!
Pong Tamale Senior High School became the latest high school in northern Ghana to record a fire outbreak.
Citi News reported that a blaze gutted parts of the girls’ dormitory on February 2.
Source: Facebook
Preliminary information indicates that the fire originated from a washroom.
Firefighters from the Savelugu Fire Station were quickly deployed to the school and managed to contain and extinguish the blaze, preventing it from spreading to other dormitories and academic facilities on the campus.
The full extent of damage is yet to be determined, as assessments continue to establish the impact on students’ belongings and school property.
The latest outbreak follows a series of similar incidents in recent weeks.
Also on February 2, 3News reported that a fire at Tolon Senior High School destroyed parts of a dormitory, displacing several students and damaging personal effects.
The fire service also responded to the fire and shared an update on Facebook.
On January 28, a major fire at the Northern School of Business affected nearly 900 female students.
At the time the Northern School of Business fire started, the students were in class, and therefore no injury was recorded. However, reports suggest that some of the students attempted to rush back to salvage their belongings as the fire continued to spread.
The recurring incidents have raised alarm among parents, education stakeholders and the general public, with growing calls for urgent interventions to improve fire safety measures in boarding institutions across the country.
Possible causes of SHS fires
In comments to YEN.com.gh, a fire safety expert, Alex King Nartey, noted some possible causes of the fire, even citing tablets used in schools.
"Some possible causes I have observed could be the free Tablets Given to Students is a Good move but should be regulated by School Authorities, especially its charging, as students might leave tablets charging under their Pillows as they leave for lectures.
"Ironing in dormitories is also a big problem that can lead to fires as students might forget to put off irons and leave for classes."
Nartey also noted well-known issues like faulty electrical wiring.
Source: Facebook
Recent fire incidents in commercial areas
The Ghana National Fire Service has also been dealing with market fires and fires in commercial areas.
On January 26, 2026, fire swept through the Anloga Market near Afful Nkwanta, destroying several shops and their contents.
On August 25, a fire at the Suame Post Office market destroyed hundreds of shops and items worth millions of cedis.
A devastating fire broke out behind the VVIP Station at Kwame Nkrumah Circle in Accra on January 20, 2026.
Fire service saves house from destruction
YEN.com.gh reported that firemen prevented a total disaster for a lucky landlord after controlling a blaze at a 12-bedroom property before things got out of hand at Akwakrom in the Central Region.
The personnel from the fire service prevented the fire from spreading beyond one room.
Source: YEN.com.gh
