A fire tender, DPT No. FS 450, dispatched on Wednesday, February 26, to douse a fire at Sakpaligu along the Savelugu Highway in Tamale, caught fire en route to the scene.

The fire tender from the Tamale Metro Fire Station had an eight-member crew led by Station Officer I Mohammad Gadafi. Fortunately, no casualties have been recorded.

However, the Sagnarigu Fire Station immediately deployed another tender to continue the response to the original emergency.

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.

In the first half of 2025, the Service reported a marginal increase in fire outbreaks.

A comparison of data from January to June 2024 and that of the first six months of 2025 indicates that Ghana recorded 3,595 fire cases.

According to the Ghana National Fire Service, that is about 19 more cases than the 3,576 cases recorded during the same time in 2024, a sharp increase in cases representing a 0.53% rise.

The monthly breakdown of fire cases reported this year is as follows: January (964), February (678), March (619), April (483), May (457), and June (394).

Fire outbreaks across the country in the first half of 2025 led to the destruction of properties valued at over GH¢188 million.

Top causes of fire incidents, according to the Ghana National Fire Service, include electrical faults through illegal connections, poor wiring, and overloading of circuits; improper use of electrical appliances, such as overused extension cords and unattended devices.

Also, unattended cooking, especially with gas, electric, or coal-based stoves. Careless use of naked flames like candles, mosquito coils, lighters, and matches, gas leakages, and poor handling of LPG cylinders are also responsible for fire incidents in the country.

2025 fire cases in Ghana

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.

According to reports, Greater Accra has recorded about 5 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.

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.

Earlier this month, four vehicles were burnt beyond recognition in a fire outbreak around 3:00 a.m. on Friday, February 20, at the Kronum branch of Goil Filling Station in the Suame Municipality.

The affected vehicles, a Nissan Urvan bus, a Kia Pregio, and two tricycles were parked near the station’s premises. According to eyewitnesses, the fire started from the Kia Pregio before spreading to the other vehicles.

It took the intervention of the station’s security guard and some residents to bring the fire under control before personnel from the Ghana National Fire Service, Bohyen Fire Station, arrived at the scene. Thankfully, no casualties were reported, and investigations into the incident are ongoing.

This update comes less than a week after a fuel tanker explosion in the early hours of Saturday, February 14, destroyed multiple vehicles along the Nsawam-Accra Highway, causing heavy traffic congestion on the busy stretch.

The fire claimed the lives of three (3) victims including two males and one female. According to a report from the Ghana National Fire Service (GNFS), a total of fifteen (15) casualties were recorded following the incident, comprising eleven (11) males and four (4) females.

Preliminary reports indicate that the explosion occurred after the tanker was involved in a collision, which caused the vehicle to catch fire.

Thick black smoke was seen rising from the scene, sparking fear among motorists and residents in nearby communities.

Personnel from the Ghana National Fire Service responded promptly and are working to bring the blaze under control and prevent it from spreading to other vehicles and properties.

Emergency responders have since cordoned off the affected section of the road as firefighting operations continue.

No casualties were confirmed so far. However, emergency teams are still assessing the situation and searching the area to ensure that no victims are trapped.

The incident has caused significant traffic disruption along the Nsawam-Accra route, which serves as a major link between the Eastern Region and Accra.