Tamale: Three senior high schools located in the Northern Region have experienced significant losses due to a series of fires occurring within a week, highlighting a concerning pattern.
According to Ghana Web, the Ghana National Fire Service (GNFS) is investigating the causes of these outbreaks, leaving hundreds of students displaced and some having lost all their belongings to the fires.
The first incident occurred at the Northern School of Business Senior High School (NOBISCO) on January 28, 2026, where a fire gutted five rooms in the girls' dormitory. Preliminary investigations by the GNFS suggest that electrical sparks from a faulty service line, exacerbated by intermittent power outages, triggered the fire. This incident displaced close to 900 students, destroying their beds, mattresses, books, uniforms, and other personal effects. Fortunately, no casualties were recorded.
Tolon Senior High School also fell victim to a fire on February 2, 2026, resulting in the displacement of 346 students. The fire destroyed the school's girls' dormitory along with personal items such as beds, books, and provisions. Authorities are still working to identify the cause of the fire, but no casualties were reported during the incident.
In the same week, the girls' dormitory at Pong-Tamale Senior High School was razed by a fire on the night of February 2, 2026. The fire destroyed the chop boxes, mattresses, books, and other personal belongings of 147 first-year female students, who were fortunately away on vacation at the time. Of the 358 female students housed in the dormitory, only the Form One students were affected. The GNFS has confirmed that investigations are underway, with no casualties reported across the three incidents.
In response to these fires, the Ghana Education Service (GES) has instructed heads of senior high schools to promptly remove all flammable materials from dormitories and enhance fire safety measures, addressing the broader issue of fire outbreaks nationwide.