One of Ghana’s oldest settlements, Gambaga Witches Camp in the North East Region, has been engulfed by fire, ravaging five rooms following a suspected bush fire trigger.

The inferno spread rapidly and threatened an eight-room block at the camp.

However, reports from fire officers at Gambaga Fire Station indicate that they received a distress call and promptly responded, leading to the salvage of three other rooms.

Sources at the scene, however, noted that the fire had caused greater damage to the structures before the emergency responders arrived. They attributed this to a delayed distress call and poor road access to the area. The surrounding bushland, already ablaze, further complicated efforts to control the flames.

No casualties were reported.

Authorities have yet to conduct a full assessment of the extent of the damage, and investigations are ongoing to determine the exact cause of the fire.

Meanwhile, reports from the Ghana National Fire Service (GNFS) reported 377 fire outbreaks in the Northern Region in 2025, compared to 373 in 2024, only a slight increase in cases.

Situated in Gambaga township in Ghana’s North East Region, the Gambaga Witches Camp has stood for more than two centuries as a refuge for people accused of witchcraft. It is one of several such camps in northern Ghana, but Gambaga remains the oldest and most widely known.

The camp is home to about 100 women who live in roughly 25 round huts. Facilities are extremely basic, with no health services or indoor plumbing. Residents survive through subsistence farming and small-scale trading, while protection is offered by the local chief and earth priest, who oversee rituals and provide sanctuary.

Most of the women are elderly, often widows, who have been accused of witchcraft by relatives or communities. These accusations typically follow misfortunes such as illness, death, crop failure, or other unexplained events. In some cases, the women suffer from mental illness, which remains poorly understood and stigmatized in Ghana. Once accused, they are ostracized and often flee for their lives to Gambaga.

Belief in witchcraft is deeply rooted in parts of Ghana, where it serves as a traditional explanation for misfortune. Accusations can also be a form of scapegoating or a way to settle family disputes. The camp therefore represents both protection from violence and exile from society.

Human rights groups have long criticized witch camps as violations of dignity and freedom, calling for their closure and the reintegration of women into society. Yet for many of the women in Gambaga, the camp remains the only place where they feel safe.

Fire cases in Ghana since last year

A fierce fire ravaged seven container shops at Spintex, Accra, around the Marina, in the early hours of Saturday, February 7.

According to the Ghana National Fire Service (GNFS), it received a distress call at about 12:01 a.m. But was unable to respond immediately due to a faulty fire engine at the Kasapreko Fire Station, which is closest to the scene. As a result, the Tema Motorway Fire Engine was dispatched as the base pump.

In a Facebook post, the GNFS explained that it had to deploy three fire tenders from the Motorway, Tema Metro, and Tema Industrial Area Fire Stations to bring the blaze under control.

The firefighting team, led by ADO I Derrick Sarkodie, arrived at the scene at 12:19 a.m. to find the fire already at an advanced stage and spreading rapidly. However, a coordinated and tactical operation by the firefighters brought the fire under control, and by 4:32 a.m., it had been completely extinguished.

The affected shops included seven container shops housing furniture, tailoring, and grocery businesses, along with their contents. No casualties were recorded.

Firefighters also reported that they prevented the fire from spreading to nearby structures, including Marina Mall, and successfully protected a car garage containing more than 35 vehicles, as well as several adjoining shops and nearby residential buildings.

The GNFS said investigations are underway to determine the cause of the fire.

Per reports, Greater Accra has recorded about five fire incidents, with the Spintex fire being the latest. The Ashanti Region, on the other hand, has seen an alarming number of fire incidents since January 1, recording about 132 cases, a decline from the 187 cases reported during the same period in 2025.

A fire outbreak on Monday evening, February 2, partially destroyed the girls’ dormitory at Pong Tamale Senior High School in northern Ghana.

According to reports, the fire originated from the washrooms and later spread through other parts, triggering panic among students.

Firefighters from the Ghana National Fire Service (GNFS) worked tirelessly to bring the fire under control. Pong Tamale Senior High School has become the latest second-cycle institution in northern Ghana to record a fire outbreak.

A fire broke out at Tolon Senior High School in the Northern Region on Monday, February 2, destroying parts of a dormitory. Nearly 900 female students were displaced following a fire at Tolon Senior High School in the region.

The recurring of fire incidents have raised concerns, Ghana recorded over 3,595 fire incidents nationwide in the first half of 2025, with regional breakdowns showing hundreds of cases across the Greater Accra, Ashanti, and Central Regions.

Barely a week into the New Year, some Kasoa residents had their stalls completely burnt after a fire ravaged stalls in a major outbreak at the Kasoa New Market on Sunday, January 4, 2026.

According to the Ghana National Fire Service (GNFS), a distress call was received around 4:50 p.m., after which the Kasoa Fire Station swiftly reached the scene, only to find the fire at a very advanced stage.

The fire was spreading so rapidly that fire tenders had to immediately call for reinforcement from Weija, Anyaa, Dansoman, Industrial Area, Flagstaff House, Madina, and Swedru fire stations.

After about two hours of firefighting, the tenders managed to extinguish the flames at 6:52 p.m., brought the fire under control at 7:52 p.m., and fully extinguished it by 10:00 p.m.